What should have been a fun and relaxing night, quickly turned into a tragedy resulting in 4 out of 6 injured children having to be airlifted out of a backyard after a gas can explosion. According to local reports, on Christmas Eve these injured children were airlifted to the Dallas Hospital suffering from critical burns caused by the accident. It is said that a gas can was too close to the fire pit in their back yard and from the heat it then exploded. The remaining 2 injured victims were taken to the hospital as well suffering with burn wounds, though not as critical of injuries as the group of 4.
The McKinney Fire Department spokeswoman, Stacie Durham, claims that one of the kids was adding the gasoline to the fire sporadically throughout the night to keep it burning, and then sat the can on the floor too close to the burning flames. Once the can eventually heated to the maximum temperature, it exploded causing the flames to hit each of the children. Fortunately there was a neighbor who heard the explosion, and didn't waste a moment before responding to the many cries of the children next door. Deb Martin shares hat she originally thought the explosion was caused by a firecracker, something that is common for children to get their hands on. However, when she realized the screams and crying, Deb knew it was much more serious.
Sadly, these children were very young indeed, ranging from the ages of 4 and 11 years old. Many of these children are related in some way, and though the 6 were injured there were numerous other children present in the backyard. Reports share their concerns that the parents were inside the house at the time of the gasoline explosion, having willingly left the kids unattended when the incident occurred. One of the uninjured children quickly ran inside the home to tell the parents that kids were on fire from an explosion, and they immediately called 911.
While this story is very sad, and quite frankly, shocking; it is not unheard of for parents to leave their children unattended. Fire even with an adult is a dangerous thing to play with, and must be handled very carefully. In this case, due to the parents leaving a gasoline can and fire in the hands of very young children, they willing placed them at risk. This is a sad story to think that had the parents been present, and handling the gas can personally, their children may not be in critical condition today. What if these children weren't all related? What if one of their friends was over during this little bonfire and then became one of the victims? This is a very likely case, and as a result if a child was injured the parents would have the right to file a personal injury lawsuit against the parents in charge, holding them responsible for negligence.
Minors can make poor decisions, and it is the responsibility of the parents to help guide them to making safe and smart choices while growing up. For an event such as this, even though the explosion was caused by a minor leaving the can too close to the flames, the fault may very well lie with the parents for leaving them unattended. If you or someone you know has been a victim of an event similar to this, or have been otherwise injured by the neglect and careless acts of another do not hesitate in contact Coontz Cochran today for a Fort Worth injury attorney today!