A Single Center Review of the Dangers of Recreational Fires in the Pediatric Population

The increasing trend of admissions due to recreational fires prompted a 5-year review. The retrospective chart review of pediatric burn injuries from campfires or bonfires treated at a single medical center’s burn unit. The study included children within the ages of 0 to 15 admitted or transferred from January 2012 to December 2016 with first, second, and/or third degree burns by bonfires. These patients accrued burns due to active fires as well as postfire ember contact. Two hundred-eighty nine (289) were pediatric admissions out of which 66 (22.8%) were pediatric admissions associated with recreational fires. The mean annual admission for campfire or bonfire burns was 13 ± .98. The mean age was 4 ± 2.47 years. Gender distribution revealed 21 female and 45 male pediatric patients under the age of 15. From the available data, 8 (12%) of these burns occurred at home in the backyard and 16 (24%) at a public camp or park. Injury mechanisms were more commonly a result of direct contact with hot coals and embers (65%). Falls into open flame accounted for 23% (n = 15) of injuries, and flash flames accounted for 12% of injuries (n = 8). The presence of supervision was unknown in 56%; however, lack of supervision was a factor in 14% of our study population. By gaining a better understanding of the type of injury, mechanism of injury, and the demographic of recreational fire burn victims, policy, and awareness campaigns were instituted in an effort to reduce the incidence of recreational fire burns.