PSA - Fire Safety (kinda gross pics inside)

Was up at the GFs cottage on lake Michigan this weekend, and we were drinking and having a bonfire on the beach. Fire was in a wheelbarrow on the sand, and was going for about 5-6 hours.

At about 2:30, I wanted to get everyone to go to bed, and we decided to throw sand on the fire. I threw about four handfuls on, when someone else said we should just push it into the water. We decided against that, but unfortunately one of my next grabs of sand was right where the wheelbarrow had been sitting. Apparently bonfires burn at about 1000 degrees, and I stuck my hand right in that sand.

It was in there for a fraction of a second but by the time I could get my hand in the lake water I could already feel the skin sloughing off. Was in the ER into the morning, and just went in today to Northwestern but they referred me to Loyola burn and trauma.

PSA: Bonfires are hot. The sand under your fire container is also incredibly hot. Do not lay on it or try to use it to build sand castles. Getting a burn debreeded does not feel good.

Pics of the damage:





Right after it was debreeded and it felt like they were pulling all the meat off my fingers (you can't see the right side of my middle finger which also got raked off):



Rest of the weekend was really fun though.