Beach-Goers Beware: Peril Buried in Sand

In the eyes of 3-year-old Brian Klotz Jr., it appeared to be a harmless sand pit, just beckoning him to jump in.

But unknown to B.J., as he is called, smoldering hot coals lay beneath the mounds of sand in the concrete fire pit at Doheny State Beach.

Within seconds after jumping in, B.J. suffered third-degree burns on his feet, legs and left hand. Doctors at UC Irvine Medical Center amputated the tips of his damaged fingers.

Such an accident is not uncommon during the warmer months, particularly among toddlers who wander away from their parents and fall into the fire pits, according to health experts. In Orange County, nearly every county and city beach, as well as all six state beaches, have fire pits--a greater concentration than in neighboring counties.

Many parents do not know of the peril.

“It’s like having a buried land mine down there. I don’t think most families are aware of how potentially dangerous it is,” said Brian Klotz Sr. “Sand won’t put out a fire. All sand does is turn it into an oven.”

Dr. Bruce Achauer, director of the UC Irvine Burn Center, said at least half a dozen children, all under 5, have been brought in with serious burns since June. Every summer, he said, he treats up to 12 youngsters for burns suffered in fire pits.

Educating parents and the public about the dangers is a task the doctor has taken on at public health seminars and with parents at the hospital.

“People are on the beach, and they cover up a fire with sand, thinking they are being responsible citizens. But they should not be doing that,” he said.

Neighboring counties do not seem to have a problem with children getting burned in fire pits. Only two of the 18 beaches overseen by Los Angeles County have the pits, officials said.

The last incident involving a burned youngster and a fire pit in the county was five or six years ago, said Wayne Schumaker, chief of facilities and property maintenance for the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors.

In Orange County, there are warning signs on the pits, but many youngsters cannot read them.

And without smoke or heat emanating from a fire pit, it is impossible to tell that there are smoldering embers below the surface, Achauer said.

Coals can retain heat for a few days, even if water is poured on them, said Capt. Scott Brown of the Orange County Fire Authority.

State beach officials say they have tried to warn beach-goers and campers of the dangers, including posting signs at the pits. The only solution is parental vigilance, they say.

“We hope that each toddler has a parent attached,” said Mike Tope, chief ranger for the Orange Coast District of the California Department of Parks and Recreation. “It’s up to the parents to protect their kids. We do have signs on the fire pits. It’s no different than a home barbecue--you just have to keep kids away from them.”

Officials have tried different designs to improve safety, ranging from iron grills to lava rocks surrounding the pits. Still, they say the concrete design of the fire pits is the safest one.

Health professionals in Orange County say the fact that so many children have been seriously injured shows that something more must be done to prevent accidents.

“It is our biggest problem during the summer,” said Ann Delgadillo, president of the Orange County Burn Assn. “More visible signs down there would make a big difference.”

Getting the word out is the most difficult task that health experts and park officials face on the issue. Not only must they educate parents about the problem, but they also must inform school officials, who often bring children to the beach on field trips.

Kim Mason’s son, Bricen, and a friend were both burned while on a field trip to a Corona del Mar beach in 1996.

Mason said the pupils were picking up trash along the beach when they encountered the fire pit. Seeing scraps of rubbish in it, the youngsters went in to grab the trash and came out with second- and third-degree burns.

Bricen, now 6, has lost some toenails as well as the feeling in the soles of his feet. He is terrified of fire now and has had a hard time adjusting to the scarring the accident left, Mason said.

School officials, said Mason, did not know to warn the youngsters about the fire pits.

“It shouldn’t be happening,” said Mason. “I’ve used the fire pits just like everybody else, but never in my wildest dreams did I think it would still be hot the next day.”

Victoria and John Gleason’s daughter Nicole was the second burn victim at Doheny Beach this summer.

At a birthday party, John Gleason noticed Nicole wandering around the fire pit. But when he looked in to see if anything was burning, he saw nothing--no heat emanating and no embers aglow--so he let Nicole move freely.

She suffered second- and third-degree burns that day.

“That is what makes it so sad. You don’t feel there is a danger there, so you give your child some freedom,” Victoria Gleason said.