LAS VEGAS – Las Vegas Fire Rescue posted pictures of a burned baby Monday, warning residents of the hazards of using garden hoses during hot weather.
“Here in Las Vegas, a garden hose exposed to direct sunlight during summer can heat the water inside the hose (not flowing) to 130-140 degrees,” fire rescue wrote, “which can cause burns, especially to children & animals. Let the water flow a few minutes to cool before spraying on people or animals.”
The department posted a picture of an infant with burns from a garden hose:
The photo was apparently shared in the past by a mother living in a different city who wanted to warn others.
“It’s a file photo, we use it every year to show just how serious a burn can occur to a toddler,” Las Vegas Fire Rescue Public Information Officer Tim Szymanski said. “We got a ton of tweets back from people (saying) ‘I never thought about that,’ and that’s why we do it.”
Fire and Rescue sent out the tweet during an excessive heat warning in Las Vegas, when temperatures were expected to rise above 106 degrees.
“Sometimes the people don’t realize that for the length of the hose all that water is going to be hot water,” Szymanski said.
He warned that it takes just seconds to cause a bad burn on a child or animal, and people should take care to let the water run cold during the summer.