Athens teen seriously burned after canister in trash fire explodes, hitting her in the face

An Athens-area teenage girl was seriously injured when something exploded as she and her boyfriend burned trash in a yard.

The Madison County Sheriff’s Office said they were called to a home in Comer around 1:30 a.m. Sept. 6.

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The boyfriend told deputies his girlfriend, who has not been identified, was sitting in a lawn chair near the fire when something exploded.

A “flame similar to a torch shot out, burning her face,” according to the report.

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The boyfriend told deputies that she ran and jumped into a nearby pool, but that he could “see that his girlfriend’s face was still on fire” even while she was in the water.

She was rushed to the hospital with serious burns on her face, chest and arms. Her current condition is unclear.

Investigators determined that the couple was burning household trash when a canister or can, possibly of paint, exploded. The canister was disintegrated in the explosion.

The boyfriend told deputies he wasn’t aware it was illegal to burn trash.