OXNARD : Boy, 8, Playing With Gasoline Is Burned
An 8-year-old Oxnard boy was treated for burns over 30% of his body Thursday after he was burned while he and friends were playing with gasoline in his back yard, Oxnard fire officials said.
Johnny Gonzales was listed in serious but stable condition at St. John’s Regional Medical Center with first- and second-degree burns on his legs, authorities said.
The boy and two friends were “playing with gasoline, making little gas bombs,” Oxnard Fire Capt. Richard Elliott said. “I’m not sure if the bottle broke or they spilled it on themselves, but the kid got splashed with fuel and it somehow ignited.”
Johnny put the fire out by rolling on the ground, Elliott said.
Johnny went into his house on Elm Court, took off his clothes and climbed into a tub of cold water, which was “absolutely the right thing to do,” Elliott said.
His father, who was not identified, found Johnny shivering under a towel and called 911 when he saw his son’s injuries, Elliott said.
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