14-year-old catches on fire using nail polish remover near lit candle, Ohio family says
A 14-year-old girl in Ohio is recovering after she caught on fire when using nail polish remover next to a burning candle.
Kennedy was at her home in Xenia preparing for cheerleading at a high school basketball game Jan. 5, People reported.
“I had to take my fingernail polish off because it’s not in uniform and as I was taking it off I had a candle near me on my bed,” Kennedy told People. “As I was setting the bottle of nail polish remover down on my bed the fumes kind of just mixed together and the bottle exploded in my hand. It caught me and everything near me on fire.”
Kennedy told Inside Edition she stood up and began shaking and moving to try and put the fire out.
Kennedy had second and third degree burns on her arm, hands, stomach and thighs, WJW reported. She was put under the care of Shriners Children’s Hospital in Dayton for three weeks, according to Inside Edition.
It was the fumes from the liquid nail polish remover that got too close to the burning candle that caused the fire, WJW reported.
“Especially in a closed environment, such as a bedroom or a bathroom, if you’re soaking your nails next to a candle, or any ignition device, it could possibly call the vapors to ignite,” retired Deputy Fire Chief Matthew Piserchio told Inside Edition.
It’s the acetone in the nail polish remover that makes it highly flammable, according to Inside Edition.
“It was a horrific scene of her being covered in bubbles and welts and her skin being melted away,” Kennedy’s mother, Brandi, told People. “It was a wild experience.”
Other common household products that are highly flammable are hair spray, aerosolized bug killer, cooking oil and grease, according to WJW.
“You don’t necessarily need a lot ... the vapor itself is flammable and can be a hazard,” Dr. Alice Fagin, who specializes in surgery critical care at Shriners Children’s Ohio, told the news outlet.
Kennedy is doing well and continues to undergo physical and occupational therapy, People reported. She and her mother hope her story will serve as a reminder to people to be aware of their surroundings.
Xenia is about 15 miles southeast of Dayton.
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