SEATTLE — A group of teenagers was celebrating their graduation by burning their homework at Alki Beach when one of them threw an envelope full of gas on the bonfire, causing an explosion that sprayed them with gasoline that caught on fire.
Vanessa Church was one of the graduates at the bonfire Monday night when the fun took a dark turn.
Church’s mother, Christine Church, said that the burning of the homework was a tradition for the graduating Jefferson High School seniors.
“There were no drugs, no alcohol; they were just having good fun and one kid made a bad decision to pour gasoline on the fire. He put it into an envelope and it combusted out onto kids who were standing nearby, and they actually had gas splash on them and then caught on fire. So, their burns are a little bit extensive, but they’re all going to be fine, said Christine Church.
In all, three boys and two girls were burned. All but one boy was expected to be released from Harborview Tuesday.
KIRO 7 Eyewitness News reporter Chris Legeros talked to Vanessa Church as she was leaving the hospital after suffering burns on her legs.
Legeros asked her how she was feeling.
“I’m really still shaken up and it was really scary. I just remember being on fire. I heard the loud pop of the envelope exploding, I guess, and I was on fire. The moment I realized it, I guess I was in shock, so one of my friends pushed me into the sand and he pretty much saved my life,” said Church.
“You can see her hair is really burnt. She lost a good chunk of her hair," said her father Mike Church, showing Legeros.
Legeros asked Church if there was a lesson to be learned from the experience.
“Be safe. We were just trying to have fun and it turned out badly because of one person’s stupid mistake,” said Church.
KIRO
