A 12-year-old boy was flown to a Boston hospital on Friday after suffering “extensive burns” while trying to light a fire in a fire pit, Maine State Police said.
Police in Topsham, Maine, responded to a home on Cote Lane about 5:30 p.m. on Friday after learning of a 12-year-old boy suffering from significant burn injuries. First responders discovered the boy on the front porch with “extensive burns,” according to Maine State Police.
The boy was taken to Maine Medical Center in Portland, then transferred to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, where he is in serious condition, state police said.
A parent took a second child present at the residence to the hospital for smoke inhalation treatment. State Police stated the toddler was treated and released.
Investigators determined that the two children were attempting to start a fire in a fire pit and had used gasoline to speed the ignition. A “flash fire occurred involving the gasoline can,” causing fuel to spill over the 12-year-old child and ignite, according to State Police.
The incident is still under investigation.
