Bermite Employee Is Burned as Flare Ignites
An employee of Bermite, a Saugus defense contractor, received second- and third-degree burns on her hands Friday when a flammable material she was removing from a decoy flare ignited, company officials said.
The employee, Lynette Costa, 24, also received minor burns around her mouth. She was in serious but stable condition at the Sherman Oaks Community Hospital burn center after being airlifted by a Los Angeles County Fire Department helicopter, a hospital spokeswoman said.
There were no other injuries, according to Rod Muse, a Bermite vice president.
Muse said the accident occurred about 1:45 p.m. while Costa was removing the material from a flare being manufactured for the military. Such flares emit heat to divert enemy guided missiles from the hot exhaust of military aircraft.
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