Fire pit accident involving 7-year-old girl prompts safety warning from Twin Cities mother
In the wake of the Fourth of July weekend, when many spent time outside, a Twin Cities mother has a message for other parents after her daughter experienced a horrific injury from a bonfire.
So far this year, Hennepin Healthcare's Burn Center and Acute Burn Clinic in Minneapolis have treated 14 patients with injuries from campfires.
One of those patients is 7-year-old Saige Starr from Nowthen, Minnesota, just north of Anoka.
Starr had her one-month check-up appointment on Monday morning to take a look at how her left arm is healing after suffering deep second-degree burns.
She accidentally tripped and fell into a fire pit at her family's cabin on June 7. The flames were out, but the coals were still extremely hot and caused a lot of significant damage.
Starr's grandma, who is a nurse, took immediate steps to help treat the wound before Starr was taken to Hennepin Healthcare.
Jamie Anderson, Starr's mother, has a warning for parents as summer rolls on and more people spend time around outdoor fires.
"Look at fire like it's deep water, sharp tools, look at it like it's extremely dangerous," Anderson said. "Our whole lives we've been saying, 'Don't go running by the fire. Be careful. Slow down. Don't stand on the bricks.' It can just happen so fast."
For anyone who suffers a similar injury, Hennepin Healthcare medical experts recommend getting the wound wrapped in a cold compress and using a medicated cream, like Neosporin, before getting to the hospital.
"It's been so common this time of year," Sarah Smith, Hennepin Healthcare Burn Clinic physician assistant, said. "Especially at the beginning of summer, everybody is excited to get outside and have those bonfires and people forget that, they think of the flame as the immediate danger, but then forget those coals can stay hot for a long time."
Smith has been caring for Starr for the last month.
Hennepin Healthcare says it addressed seven fireworks-related injuries over the weekend, which the medical facility says is much higher than usual, and encourages people to continue to stay safe and be overly cautious for the remainder of the summer.
