Girl burns feet on buried coals

Sue Doyle

CORONA DEL MAR -- A 5-year-old girl suffered burns on her feet Monday

after she stepped into an unlit fire ring at the beach that had hot coals

buried below the surface.

The girl, who was visiting the area with her parents from Orlando, Fla.,

was treated at Hoag Hospital. Authorities did not know how badly she was

burned. The family’s name was not released.

The youngster was the first victim this year to receive burns from

walking into a fire ring. Each year, authorities typically see four to

five burn cases of this nature, said Lt. John Blauer of the Newport Beach

Fire and Marine Department.

While the rings may appear to be no threat, there can still be hot coals

buried deep in the sand long after the fire has been extinguished.

It’s important for people realize that and use caution, Blauer said.

“I’ve seen people who have just fallen in and the whole pad of the bottom

of their foot is just like one big blister falling off,” Blauer said.

But it’s not just hidden coals that can cause burns. Blauer said that in

years past, some people sitting on the edge of a fire ring have been

accidentally knocked into the flames.

“Everyone needs to use extreme caution around those areas. They’re there

for cooking and enjoying the fire, just like out in the wild,” Blauer

said.

“It’s easy to tell when there is a fire burning, but people don’t realize

that fire can continue to burn.”

Posted warning signs remind beachgoers not to step inside the concrete

fire rings. At Corona del Mar, there are three sets of rings with 20 to

25 sites for a fire. There are another 30 fire rings on either side of

Balboa Pier.