August 28th 2024.
Rachel Kerr, a 52-year-old woman, considers herself lucky to be alive after a terrifying incident involving an online purchase. It all started when she bought a portable fireplace on Amazon, thinking it would be a fun addition to her home. Little did she know, this seemingly innocent purchase would end up causing her severe injuries.
Rachel, a mother of two, was using the fireplace, which was advertised as a "s'mores maker", for the first time in three years. It was the Fourth of July, a day of celebration and relaxation, and she was enjoying the evening with her 14-year-old son and her partner Mike Stone. They were having a good time until the fireplace suddenly exploded, engulfing Rachel in flames.
"It was like a wave of flames that just flew at me," Rachel, from Lynnwood, Washington, recalled. "It was a jet stream of wind, that was like how the flames shot at me." Luckily, she managed to turn her head away from the flames just in time, but her face and one of her hands were badly burned. The intense heat also caused her hair to catch fire.
Rachel's partner, Mike, acted quickly and followed the instructions from a 911 operator to pour buckets of water on her head. It was a terrifying and painful experience for Rachel, who described the pain as worse than childbirth. She was rushed to the hospital, where doctors had to remove dead tissue from her wounds in a process called debridement.
"It was just insane," Rachel said. "Even with as much pain medication as I had in me, I was thinking in my brain I would rather have three more children with no meds than go through what I was going through."
Recovering from burns across 7% of her body has been a challenging and painful process for Rachel. She has had to undergo frequent dressing changes, which she described as "skin-crawling". The emotional pain of seeing her hair cut off and looking at her burned face in the mirror has also taken a toll on her.
"The first week I couldn't even shower by myself," Rachel shared. "My partner Mike had to change my dressings and feed me. It was a huge adjustment for someone like me who is extremely independent." The pain from her burns and nerve damage has been excruciating, but Rachel remains grateful to be alive.
She believes that if she had been sitting any closer to the fireplace, the outcome could have been fatal. "I think that if I would have been sitting any closer, it would be a completely different story," she said. "Sitting six inches closer, I don't know if I'd be here today honestly. The pictures we got from the very next day, I'm extremely lucky to be alive."
Rachel now wants to warn others about the dangers of using tabletop ethanol fireplaces, which may seem convenient and easy to use but can actually be very dangerous. "Just be careful or don't use them," she advised. "We've done research on this and it's not something that is uncommon. I've had people reach out who have had similar stories."
Rachel's story serves as a reminder to always be cautious when purchasing and using products, especially those advertised as convenient and easy. It only takes one small mistake for a fun evening to turn into a life-threatening situation. As for Amazon, who sold the fireplace to Rachel, they have yet to comment on the incident.
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