Toddler Who Accidentally Set Himself On Fire In Stable Condition

A toddler from the Northern Ireland town of Ballymena is in stable condition after accidentally setting himself on fire Friday.

Neighbors believe the boy might have been holding an aerosol too close to a lit candle.

The boy, whose age is unconfirmed but is believed to be three or four, ran outside and was helped by passersby.

A chip shop owner, Carol Moody, provided buckets of water to help put out the flames. Moody said:

“There was a man driving up and he saw a wee boy, alone, running on fire. There was another woman who had been walking up and who tried to put the flames out. There were other people about too who helped. I brought out buckets of water and bags to wrap him in, but they were okay. We were told that the burns were superficial and that they were not around his face. I hope that is the case.”

Moody said everyone hoped the chid would be OK. He is listed in serious but stable condition at Antrim Area Hospital. Most of the injuries are on his upper body.

A spokeswoman for the Northern Trust said he would be transferred to the Royal Victoria children’s hospital in Belfast.

The whole community has offered their thoughts and prayers to the child and his parents, although it is unclear where they were at the time of the incident.

A police spokesman asked for anyone who was in the area at the time to help them figure out exactly what happened to the toddler.