The mother of a toddler severely burned by a campfire has a warning for parents just ahead of the Memorial Day weekend.
The accident happened Saturday, May 21, when her family was out fishing on the Cedar River. When it was time to go, the little girl tripped and fell into a sand covered pile of ashes. The fire didn't appear to still be hot, but the girl suffered third-degree burns on her knee and arm.
She will likely need a skin graft.
"I feel like it's kinda like common sense. You should, before you leave that area, you should be putting out your fire. This could happen to anybody. It doesn't have to be just my two year old," said mother Jessica Seitz.
A fire official says kicking sand onto flames won't put out the fire properly and the embers can say hot for days. He says water is the best way to put out a campfire.