Phoenix-area mom accidentally burns toddler with water from hose
Jun 9, 2016, 5:00 AM
PHOENIX — A 9-month-old Phoenix-area boy sustained second-degree burns over 30 percent of his body after his mother sprayed him with a garden hose.
According to Phoenix Fire Department Captain Reda Bigler, many parents are not aware of how hot hose water can get during the summer.
“If the hose is sitting there, it doesn’t even need to be in direct sunlight, you’ve got sedimentary water just resting in the hose and that starts building up the heat,” Bigler said. “So your first dose of water out of that hose, whether it’s by way of sprinkler or the nozzle itself, is that scalding temperature.”
Hose water can rise to temperatures more than 150 degrees, which can result in a burn after only two seconds of contact.
If an individual is burned by water, seek medical attention immediately, especially for children and the elderly who experience burns on or around their hands, feet, face, groin or head.
The Phoenix Fire Department advised parents to let the hose run for about 15 seconds before testing the water.
Officials have ruled the San Tan Valley incident as an accident. The child is expected to make a full recovery.
KTAR’s Jeremy Foster contributed to this story.
