Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
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Samantha Hayes Reporting"It sounded like an explosion."
An explosion is exactly what it was. And it happened by mistake. Neighbors say the young man just wasn't thinking; that lapse in judgment nearly cost him his life.
A group of young people was cooking out last night when one of them, a 15 year old, tried to rekindle the fire. The teenager picked up a gas can and poured it over an open pit. What happened next had neighbors rushing to the house to help.
The gasoline can caught fire and half of his body was burned. A group of friends wanted to create a campfire in the backyard of a Tooele home. Fire is something they probably never want to deal with again.
Hayley Huffner, Neighbor: "I looked out of the corner of my eye and I saw the neighbor's yard two houses up on fire."
Hayley Huffner called for help.
Hayley Huffner: "There's someone on fire, could hear screams and yelling. And he saw someone being carried and flames all over them."
The young man who lives in the house invited his friends over to cook out. His parents were not home. The two friends, a 15-year old and his 20-year old girlfriend were both burned in the fire. They were flown to the hospital.
A police officer says when he ran around the corner of the house to get to the backyard, he could smell gasoline, and saw the 15-year old on the ground wrapped in the blanket. He also found a piece of the gas can, nearly 35 feet away from the fire pit.
Charlie Fletcher, Neighbor: "I thought a car exploded or a gas line erupted, really loud explosion."
Police say both victims were conscious. The 15-year old told police he was being dumb and poured gas on the fire. He said he heard a pop and his clothes caught fire.
Heath Hillyard, Tooele City Police: "Don't pour gasoline out of a gas can on an open fire."
The 20-year old woman was released from the hospital. Her mother was with her at the house, but was smoking a cigarette when the explosion happened. The 15-year old is in critical condition at the hospital.
