Two teenage boys in Fitchburg received serious burn marks after a bonfire’s flames ignited badly when one of the victims accidentally threw a gas can into it, the police officials said on Saturday.
14-year-old Jameson Carroll and his 11-year-old brother Jaxon Carroll were badly burnt after the bonfire, located in the backyard of their home, suddenly went uncontrollable due to the gas can.
“We saw two victims in the road. It was a little bit chaotic,” said Fitchburg Deputy Fire Chief Thomas Dateo.
According to the police officials, the preliminary investigations suggested that one of the boys had supposedly threw gasoline into the bonefire after which the can exploded.
The cops said that their mother was not at the site when unfortunate incident took place.
When neighbors were inquired about the incident, they said that the gas can explosion sounded like a blown transformer.
“When we came out of the house and we heard there was an explosion, and there was a guy laying on the ground on fire. His pants were already burned off,” Norton Forcier, one of the neighbors of Carroll family said.
Another neighbor Breanna Camire said, “I just kind hit at him and the fire on the ground, seemed to be the remnants of his pants, apparently and just held him still so he wouldn’t thrash.”
According to the fire officials, Jaxon was more seriously injured than his brother as he suffered first and second degree burns to his face. He was immediately flown to Worcester’s Memorial Medical Center. Jameson had suffered burns to his legs.
Meanwhile, both the victims were transferred to Boston’s Shriners Hospital for Children where they are recuperating to the treatment.