Horrified diners at a restaurant witnessed a 10-year-old boy catching fire while roasting marshmallows over a fire pit. The incident occurred at an establishment in Airdrie, Lanarkshire, where the child, along with his sister, was near the fire pit. A 16-year-old waitress tried to reignite the fire by pouring liquid fuel over it, causing the boy to sustain severe burns before his mother managed to extinguish the flames. Another patron provided initial aid while the family was in distress.
Medical professionals later informed the parents that the boy’s eyesight was likely saved due to him wearing glasses at the time of the incident. The venue, Monterey Jack’s restaurant, which had only been operational for two weeks when the mishap transpired in November 2018, has since acknowledged two violations under the Health and Safety at Work Act.
According to reports, the family was enjoying a meal at the restaurant, which featured a campfire-style burner enclosed by stones to match the Wild West theme. The court was informed that the waitress attempted to relight the burner with a stem lighter but resorted to liquid fuel when unsuccessful, leading to the unfortunate accident. The boy sustained burns to his face, ear, eyebrow, and eyelashes, requiring extensive treatment over three years at a burns unit.
The young waitress suffered a hand burn that necessitated hospital care, while the boy’s sister suffered a minor burn on her hand that did not require medical attention. Investigations revealed that individuals under 18 should not have been assigned the task of lighting the fire pit, highlighting deficiencies in staff training and awareness of safety hazards.
Monterey Jack’s, which operated multiple restaurants across Scotland until 2022, expressed remorse for the incident, emphasizing the inadequacy of risk assessments and supervision for underage employees. The company promptly removed all fire pits from its premises following the accident to prevent future occurrences. The court proceedings are ongoing, with sentencing scheduled for December.