A Virginia teenager is speaking out after suffering serious burns during a Thanksgiving bonfire that suddenly spiraled out of control.
Garrett Albertson, 17, of Gloucester, was attending a bonfire on Thursday, Nov. 27, when the flames intensified as people continued adding fuel, he told NBC affiliate WAVY.
At one point, Albertson said, a can of accelerant was dropped — and that’s when “the fire shot out” and hit him in the face.
In an instant, his vision was filled with flames.
“I thought I was going to die,” Albertson recalled. “I thought it was over because I couldn’t see anything. All I could hear was fire.”
In agony and terrified, he said he relied on what he’d been taught in emergencies: he stopped, dropped and rolled to smother the flames, according to WAVY.
Albertson’s parents rushed him to a nearby hospital with burns to his face, arms and hands. He has since undergone multiple procedures as part of his treatment.
The teen is still recovering at VCU Medical Center in Richmond, but is expected to be released in the coming week. It was not immediately clear if anyone else was hurt in the incident.
Albertson and his family have leaned heavily on their faith as they navigate his long road to healing, he told WAVY.
In the meantime, the high schooler hopes that sharing his experience will help others understand how quickly things can go wrong around fire. His message is simple but urgent: even small actions can have huge consequences.
“Be careful,” he warned. “Pay attention to what you’re doing.”
