A 12-year-old boy was severely burned in Topsham after he and another child tried to start a fire in a fire pit Friday evening.
The boy remains in “serious condition” at a hospital in Massachusetts, according to the state fire marshal’s office.
The investigation is still ongoing, but the preliminary investigation found that the children tried to use gasoline to stoke the fire. A sudden fire occurred, which resulted in some of the fuel being spilled onto the 12-year-old boy and igniting, according to the fire marshal’s office.
When first responders arrived to the home on Coot Lane after 5:30 p.m., the boy was found with severe burn injuries. He was brought to Maine Medical Center in Portland and later transferred to Massachusetts General Hospital.
A second child was brought to a local hospital for smoke inhalation. That child was treated and released.
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