A 15-year-old boy suffered severe burns to his chest and face and lost his right hand when a fireworks device detonated in his hand in Oceanside Thursday, officials said.
The teen suffered the injuries, including the “traumatic amputation” of his hand, when the device blew up shortly before 9 a.m. on North Horne Street near Civic Center Drive, near the Walmart parking lot, police said.
He reportedly was with two other juveniles, but they ran off before police arrived, said Oceanside police Lt. Jon Dominique.
Firefighters and paramedics treated the boy at the scene before he was flown by helicopter to UC San Diego Medical Center Burn Center. A Fire Department news release said the boy suffered “critical injuries” from the blast.
No other injuries were reported. It was not immediately known what type of device had exploded.
Dominique said the boy was out “on the sidewalk/road area” when the injury occurred. It was believed the device exploded when he went to light the fuse, the lieutenant said.
All fireworks are illegal to possess in San Diego County. It wasn’t known where the teen had acquired the device.
“Fireworks are extremely dangerous and not toys. This incident is a reminder of how quickly fireworks can cause life-changing injuries,” the police department said in a social media post.