Toddler Has Third-Degree Burns After Tabletop Fireplace Malfunctions While Making S’mores with Family

A 3-year-old boy is recovering from serious injuries after a tabletop fireplace malfunctioned inside a Morgan Hill, California home on Oct. 4, according to The Mercury News.

Sebastian Reynoso had been preparing to make s’mores with his uncle and cousins when the small fireplace suddenly erupted in flames, sending fire beyond the glass walls that were meant to contain it.

The child sustained second- and third-degree burns on his face, neck, and arms, as well as other parts of his body, according to a GoFundMe campaign launched to support his recovery. Burns now cover about 15% of his body, The Mercury News reported. His father, Omar Reynoso, said Sebastian has remained hospitalized since the incident.

“He’s a very strong kid,” said Omar, a pilot. “Doctors told us it may take a full year before we know how his skin will fully heal — right now everything is still pink and red.”

Sebastian has already undergone several medical procedures, including a tracheostomy to assist with breathing after his airway became severely swollen, and skin grafting surgeries for his third-degree burns, according to the GoFundMe page. Doctors also discovered a Grade 3 subglottic stenosis — meaning his airway is significantly narrowed — which may require reconstructive surgery.

He is expected to stay in the hospital for at least another month before being discharged, The Mercury News reported. Omar said the experience has deeply affected his young son. “He looks at his hands and seems really sad,” he explained. “We cover them because he doesn’t like to see them, but when someone comes in, he’ll start pulling at his hands to show them.”

Loved ones are seeking to raise $200,000 through the GoFundMe campaign to help cover Sebastian’s hospital bills, surgeries, and ongoing treatments. As of Thursday, Nov. 6, more than $48,000 had been raised. “We never imagined this kind of support,” Omar told The Mercury News. “My wife and I are so thankful — we were truly shocked.”

Omar said the fireplace involved in the accident was made by the brand Rozato, which uses rubbing alcohol or bioethanol as fuel, per The Mercury News. A U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission alert issued on Dec. 19, 2024, cautioned consumers against using similar products, noting that they violate voluntary safety standards. The commission described such alcohol-fueled fire pits as “extremely dangerous,” citing two deaths and at least 60 injuries linked to these devices since 2019.

“CPSC urges consumers to immediately stop use and dispose of these alcohol or other liquid-burning fire pits, and for sellers to stop selling them,” the alert stated.