Kitchen accident leaves toddler with 2nd degree burns

HALL COUNTY, Ga. - Investigators in Hall County said it was a horrible accident that led to an 18-month-old girl being burned by boiling water Wednesday afternoon.

Firefighters responded to the 7200 block of Plum Creek Drive off Poplar Springs Road in eastern Hall County around 4 p.m.

Fire official said they found the toddler with second degree burns to more than 30 percent of her body. Emergency crews rushed the young girl and her mother by air ambulance to Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta.

Firefighters said the toddler was badly burned in an accident in the kitchen.

“She had second-degree burns over 30 percent of her body,” said Capt. Zachary Brackett. “So far, we know that the incident happened in the kitchen, related to some sort of cooking.”

Neighbors rushed to the home to help as firefighters try to treat a little girl badly burned.

“Certainly with her being that young, they are significant injuries,” said Capt. Brackett. Firefighters said that despite the severity of the girl's injuries, she is expected to be okay.

The incident is under investigation by the Hall County Fire Marshal's Office and Hall County Sheriff's Office.

The name of the toddler has not yet been released

Neighbors, who describe the young girl as an angel, are asking for prayers  for the family tonight. 

Firefighters warn parents to remember to be cautious when cooking around young children, and keep them away from stove and oven areas.

"If the stove is on, the child should be in a safe area where they cannot reach the stove," Brackett said. 

Firefighters tell FOX 5, if a young child ever suffers severe burns, to call 911 immediately; parents should follow the directives of 911 operators, and seek to immediately treat the area by running cold water over the wound.