Six kids burned, some critically, in Tex. gas explosion

McKINNEY, Texas A fire official says that four of six children injured in an explosion after gas was poured onto an open fire pit in Texas suffered critical burns.

McKinney Fire Department spokeswoman Stacie Durham says the four youngsters were taken by helicopter to a Dallas hospital after the Monday afternoon explosion in McKinney, about 30 miles north of Dallas.

Durham says at least one of the children sprinkled gasoline from a can onto the fire and left the can near the pit. She says fumes from the can ignited and all six children who were near the can were hit by the explosion's flames.

The children, ages 4 to 11, are related and some are siblings, Durham said. A fifth child also taken to the Dallas hospital was in serious condition, and a sixth was taken to a McKinney hospital with minor burns, she said.

The children were believed to have been left unsupervised in the backyard, where a fire was burning. Adults were inside the home at the time of the explosion.

A child who is believed not to have been injured ran into the home and told the adults there was an explosion and the children were on fire, Durham said. A neighbor called 911.

[Sweetlady238]

What were the adults thinking when they left a gas can outside for the kids to have access to it, and doesn't anyone teach their kids not to mess with fire whether it's on a stove, in a fireplace, or an open pit? My guess is that the adults left the 11-year-old in charge, as though an 11-year-old is going to stand around watching 5 other kids every moment that they're outside playing, while the adults booze and yuk it up. A hard lesson for these adults to learn through tragic circumstances.

[Maerzie]

What a terrible Christmas present!

[StanaLynn]

Not only were these children left unsupervised around a fire, but one of them had to go tell the adults inside the house that there was an explosion in the backyard...AND the neighbors called 911??!! For God's Sake, What were these people doing???? CPS will be investigating this one, as they should! I usually don't make judgments without knowing all the facts, but there could be no extenuating circumstances in this case!

[Beckyl1957]

My prayers go out to the family. I just Can Not Believe that they would leave the children with gas and fire and NO Adults watching the Kids. This could happen anywhere too many parents think their kids can watch them self with no adults.

[GossamerWings]

Amen to that.

[FormerUSMCSergeant]

The children were believed to have been left unsupervised in the backyard, where a fire was burning.
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Sure. Leaving kids and fires unsupervised is ALWAYS a good idea.
What total morons. Too stupid to have children in the first place.....

[VA_Jill]

And the "adults" were INSIDE THE HOUSE while 6 kids ran around outside with a live fire burning exactly WHY?

[omnibus66]

Why? Didn't you notice that this was in Texas?