South Jersey Girl Recovering After Suffering Burns From Fire Pit

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – A South Jersey girl is recovering from burns after tripping and landing on bricks still hot from a fire pit on Wednesday night. Authorities say as fire pits grow in popularity, it's important for those who have them to recognize the potential dangers.

There are obvious dangers with outdoor fire pits, but last night a Gloucester Township girl suffered a lot of pain and over a hazard that's easy to overlook.

Around 8 p.m., Gloucester Township Fire and EMS responded to the home on Camelot Court for a report of an 8-year-old girl who took a tumble into a backyard fire pit.

"She lost her balance and as she was going back, she caught onto the surrounding hot brick that was from the fire pit," said Gloucester Township Fire Marshall Pete Urso. "So she was actually burned from the fire pit itself."

Officials say the fire had been out for about a half-hour, but the block fire pit was still so hot the girl had to be medevaced to St. Christopher's Hospital for burns to her arms and legs.

"Thank god the fire was out and there was no actual flames, it could have been a lot worse," Urso said.

But, injuries from backyard fire pits are becoming more and more common.

According to the Consumer Products Safety Commission, in 2017, there were 5,300 injuries treated in emergency rooms across the United States caused by outdoor fire pits and heaters. That's nearly triple the injuries from a decade ago.

Fire officials say now that evenings are becoming warmer and people start using fire pits more often, they need to follow a few critical safety tips, starting with the proper distance to keep children from fire pits.

"You have your warm zone which is about five feet away from the fire pit and anything closer we call the hot zone," Urso said. "We recommend that any children or young adult stay outside the hot zone."

Burns also commonly occur while lighting outdoor fires, so experts warn not to use flammable liquids, like gasoline or lighter fluid.

It's also important to place fire pits at least 15 feet away from trees and structures and remember metal and brick pits can stay hot for hours after a fire is out.

"What we recommend is after each use, extinguish the fire and have a garden hose close by and even wet down the bricks itself," Urso said.

Fire officials say they spoke with the 8-year-old's family this morning.

She was treated and released from the hospital late Tuesday night.

She suffered minor burns and hopes to return to school after spring break.