Teen Bonfires Can Cause Serious Injuries Warns Loyola Medicine Burn Surgeon
April 30, 2019Categories: Burn Center
Tags: Burn Center
MAYWOOD, IL – Building a bonfire has become a popular activity among teenagers, but a big fire can result in serious burn injuries, cautions Loyola Medicine burn surgeon Arthur Sanford, MD.
"The only guaranteed way to prevent bonfire burn injuries is to not have a fire in the first place," Dr. Sanford said. "But if you do decide to have a fire for a prom, graduation or other occasion, there are simple ways to minimize the risk of burns."
Dr. Sanford recommends the following safety tips:
- Check the weather. If high winds are forecast, cancel the bonfire.
- Make a fire pit and clear all brush from the area.
- Keep a bucket of water and garden hose nearby.
- The safest way to start a fire is with newspapers and small kindling. If you have to use charcoal lighter fluid, make sure to seal the container and keep it well away from the fire. Never use lighter fluid once the fire has started.
- Never use an accelerant such as gasoline, diesel fuel or kerosene.
- Do not spray aerosols or toss canisters or fireworks into the fire.
- Limit the bonfire to a manageable size – no more than about four feet by four feet.
- Keep a safe distance from the fire, and don't horse around.
- Do not drink alcohol.
- Make sure to put the fire out completely – stir the ashes and douse thoroughly with water (Loyola's burn center has treated multiple patients who suffered burns after inadvertently walking on ashes),
Loyola Medicine operates one of the largest burn centers in the Midwest. Its multidisciplinary approach and outstanding outcomes are recognized by the American College of Surgeons and American Burn Association.
About Loyola Medicine
Loyola Medicine, a member of Trinity Health, is a nationally ranked academic, quaternary care system based in Chicago's western suburbs. The three-hospital system includes Loyola University Medical Center (LUMC), Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, MacNeal Hospital, as well as convenient locations offering primary care, specialty care and immediate care services from nearly 2,000 physicians throughout Cook, Will and DuPage counties. LUMC is a 547-licensed-bed hospital in Maywood that includes the William G. and Mary A. Ryan Center for Heart & Vascular Medicine, the Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center, the John L. Keeley, MD, Emergency Department, a Level 1 trauma center, Illinois's largest burn center, the Nancy W. Knowles Orthopaedic Institute, a certified comprehensive stroke center, transplant center and a children’s hospital. Having delivered compassionate care for over 50 years, Loyola also trains the next generation of caregivers through its academic affiliation with Loyola University Chicago’s Stritch School of Medicine and Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing.
For more information, visit loyolamedicine.org. You can also follow Loyola Medicine on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram or X (formerly known as Twitter).
About Trinity Health
Trinity Health is one of the largest not-for-profit, faith-based health care systems in the nation. It is a family of 127,000 colleagues and more than 38,300 physicians and clinicians caring for diverse communities across 26 states. Nationally recognized for care and experience, the Trinity Health system includes 93 hospitals, 107 continuing care locations, the second largest PACE program in the country, 142 urgent care locations and many other health and well-being services. In fiscal year 2024, the Livonia, Michigan-based health system invested $1.3 billion in its communities in the form of charity care and other community benefit programs. For more information, visit us at www.trinity-health.org, or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and X (formerly known as Twitter).