Boy, 9, Suffers Burns When Fireworks Explode in Pocket

A 9-year-old boy carrying 100 percussion cap fireworks tripped and fell Wednesday, detonating the caps in his pocket and causing second-degree burns, firefighters said.

The boy, who was not identified because he could face charges of possessing illegal fireworks, was in the playground of his apartment complex about 5:20 p.m. when he fell, said Dennis Shell, spokesman for the Orange County Fire Authority.

“They all simultaneously detonated in his pocket,” Shell said. “He was wearing Levi pants. When they detonated, it burned away his inner pocket and a large portion of his underpants.”

When firefighters arrived in the 140 block of Cinnamon Teal, neighbors had already taken the boy’s pants off to prevent further injuries, Shell said.

“That was a smart thing to do,” he said, “because if it had turned into a free-burning situation, if he ran, he would have basically turned himself into a torch.”

The boy suffered second-degree burns over 10% of his body and was airlifted to UCI Medical Center in Orange.

“He was in extreme pain,” Shell said. “There were a number of kids around at the time, and they said he just began to scream.”

Investigators did not know where the boy got the caps, which they believe were from Mexico. In Southern California, such fireworks are illegal except for celebrating the Fourth of July holiday. Penalties for possession of the fireworks any other time depend on the amount of gunpowder in them, and firefighters have not determined whether the amount carried by the boy qualifies as a misdemeanor or felony.

The caps are designed to detonate when thrown on the pavement.

“This was truly an unfortunate scenario, but this young man was extremely lucky,” Shell said. “It could have turned out much worse.”