Campfires

[Cruiser 105Tvan]

A 4 year old has fallen into a campfire on private property at Margate.
Poor little fella.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-23/boy-four-suffers-significant-burns-campfire/7194436

They'll want childproof fences around campfires now.

[loanrangie]

Poor kid, parents were probably pissed and not supervising the child .

[slydar]

tough call that, sometimes it only takes a moments distraction of the parents and other adults and its all over - if they were even there. hope the little feller gets through it

[Rumpig]

Not important how it happened, just hope the little fella has a fast recovery and isn't effected to much by it down the track. Always scares me when little kids walk near a fire, they just don't get the danger sadly.

[xcvator]

That's the sort of reason I wanted to take a sat phone with us last year, thanks Macca  I had read an article where a kid in a very remote area walked over a buried camp fire and their foot went through the dirt and got badly burnt, luckily some body had a sat phone and could call for advice  and arrange to have to kid transported to where the RFDS could pick her up and get her to hospital 

[Black Diamond]

It's always a worry and pretty weary of it when kids are around. My kids are a little older now but I used to watch them like a Hawk when around the fire. Still do but it's just one of those unfortunate things that will always happen because it can happen so easily.  Poor little Bugger 

[timmyh80]

Hope the kids ok. It is something we are cautious of; we use a stick and draw a circle around the fire, and tell the kids not to cross over the line. Helps h them to learn to enjoy it but keep some distance. We still have to watch them though, they can forget or get a bit too excited about the marsh mellows or helping putting some more wood on.


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[raider]

When our kids were little I can remember a campfire we had where something went pop and a bit of hot material landed just under the young blokes eye. Very lucky he didn't lose an eye.

[Beachman]

I arrange Father/Kids weekends with fellow school Dad’s and I’m known for harping on about the dangers of camp fires. Our kids go camping a fair bit so campfires are just a normal part of camping, but for some of these kids it’s there first camping experience and being around a campfire makes some kids mesmerised. When I say mesmerised its scary mesmerised as you can tell they want to touch it and want to play right next to it.

I’m also big on telling kids day/night never walk on what they believe is an old fire because as far as they know people may have just left and it’s still hot.

But very sad for that little boy.

[Snapman007]

We used to carry an old rope that we circled around the fire. This was a no go zone for the little ones. Another rule we had is no walking in front of the camp chairs. You get up from your chair then walk behind them to get around the fire.

Hope the little dude heals soon.

[macca]

That's a big call loanrangie, fires are like magnets to kids.  As beachman says my kids have grown up around campfires and have been taught to stay away from them but other kids that have been away with us keep you one your toes. My kids are more worried about me near the fire now, we are going thru the process with  grandkids now.
Hope the little bloke is OK , my grandson is 4 and i would hate to think what he and his family are going thru at the moment

[Banjo16]

Poor kid, parents were probably pissed and not supervising the child .

Might be a bit harsh, but probably true.

[trevc]

Might be a bit harsh, but probably true.

Based on what???

Some of you blokes are quick to throw mud with absolutely no facts tk back it up.

T

[The punter]

Based on what???

Some of you blokes are quick to throw mud with absolutely no facts tk back it up.

T

Based on the fact that parenting is now a very loose concept, resulting in nanny state laws to protect kids from dumbarses that should probably not have had them in the first place. It's also just as likely that it was a very unfortunate accident.

The number of "parents" you see out and about that think it's ok to let their kids do pretty well whatever the hell they like is escalating. This will more and more result in injuries to kids that deserve better, it's the "entitled" generation, get used to it.

[macca]

What accept the fact that a four year old has fallen in a fire.
 NO WAY
There are plenty of good parents and plenty of good kids out there

[The punter]

What accept the fact that a four year old has fallen in a fire.
 NO WAY
There are plenty of good parents and plenty of good kids out there

Covered by my unfortunate accident disclaimer 

[austastar]

Hi,
   Tragedy! But avoidable.


I'v been around families with kids near a large spontaneously communal fire and really have a hard time not interfering with potential accidents I see, just waiting to happen. Their kids are their business, not mine and some can be very protective of that.


Pools have rules like "no running", "no jumping" etc, and they are much more forgiving than hot coals and flames.
 
It seems some parents are oblivious to the potential of kids running excitedly between adults and the fire, chairs and the fire and generally behaving like the fire is a nice warm benign happening with all the danger of an innerspring mattress.


If it is an organised trip, with a trip leader, it is so much easer to gather the parents and kids as the fire is being lit and run through the 'rules' and involve the kids in answering why we have the rules and what could happen if the rules are ignored.


Cheers

[Terry W4]

Even us adults have to be careful. Last year in central Queensland when moving to put some more timber on the campfire I tripped on one of the laces on my walking boots and fell into the side of the fire. Quickly rolled out of it and made sure I was not on fire. If I fell into the middle might have been a different story.

[Champin]

Even us adults have to be careful. Last year in central Queensland when moving to put some more timber on the campfire I tripped on one of the laces on my walking boots and fell into the side of the fire. Quickly rolled out of it and made sure I was not on fire. If I fell into the middle might have been a different story.

See? Kids of ALL ages should be closely watched around open fires. 
 Shee ite. Accidents happen to all of us. Easy to throw the blame without the facts.

[trevc]

Based on the fact that parenting is now a very loose concept, resulting in nanny state laws to protect kids from dumbarses that should probably not have had them in the first place. It's also just as likely that it was a very unfortunate accident.

The number of "parents" you see out and about that think it's ok to let their kids do pretty well whatever the hell they like is escalating. This will more and more result in injuries to kids that deserve better, it's the "entitled" generation, get used to it.

Spoken like every older generation about every younger generation.
Oh and I knew somehow it would be the governments fault.

[xcvator]

Spoken like every older generation about every younger generation.
Oh and I knew somehow it would be the governments fault.

Well isn't it 

[The punter]

Spoken like every older generation about every younger generation.
Oh and I knew somehow it would be the governments fault.

Where did I say it was the government's fault that this kid got burned exactly?

[Nomad]

Based on the fact that parenting is now a very loose concept, resulting in nanny state laws to protect kids from dumbarses that should probably not have had them in the first place. It's also just as likely that it was a very unfortunate accident.

The number of "parents" you see out and about that think it's ok to let their kids do pretty well whatever the hell they like is escalating. This will more and more result in injuries to kids that deserve better, it's the "entitled" generation, get used to it.

What a pi$$ ant bunch of Sh!te.
I have two young children and they are probably better behaved, educated and aware of there surroundings than either you or I ever were.
I can't believe you make such a broad brushed comment in your first statement and then say " It's also just as likely that it was a very unfortunate accident"

Talk about taking an each way bet.

As for the age of entitlement comment well that just goes to show how out of touch you seem to be. My generation pays way more tax than yours ever did, has significantly less superannuation benefits than yours had and will work for much longer before being able to access it, pays full price for a university education when yours got it for free even if you were as dumb as a post.

So which generation was it that had the age of entitlement?

[macca]

Where did I say it was the government's fault that this kid got burned exactly?

Maybe your reference to nanny  state laws.

While we're generallising, what if this dad that is sitting at home at the moment, distraught that his kid is seriously injured lying in hospital, beating himself up as to what he may or may not have done wrong happens to be a Myswagger and is reading how he is a piss head and a dumbar$e etc.
 Why not give this family the benefit of the doubt until proved otherwise

[BigJules]

Hey posters, try not to turn everything that gets posted into an argument, complaint or criticism.

We know nothing of the role of parenting in this situation, the Govt probably wasn't there and I don't recall any/many laws around campfires and kids. Maybe a Nissan driver pushed the kid? Of course not!

How about just expressing some empathy and compassion and maybe how you positively parented your kids so they were aware of the dangers of fires, or how you had a close call, because that can happen.