Teen Catches Fire While Welding At School In Arbuckle

ARBUCKLE, Calif. (CBS13) – A teenager is recovering in the hospital after he was severely burned at school. He suffered burns on more than 70 percent of his body.

"I was just like 'Wow,'" said 15-year-old Leo Parra, "I was in that class. That could happen to me too!"

Parra described the scary sight in his Monday afternoon welding class. Just after 1 p.m., his 15-year-old classmate's clothing caught on fire.

"It was pajama day and somehow a spark got in his shirt and all of a sudden, he flamed all the way up," Parra said. "He started running through the hallways. Then, one of the teachers had like stopped him and I guess she tackled him to the ground and started patting him down to like pull him down and then she got the fire blanket and covered him."

A teacher helped put out the flames, but by that time, the teen had suffered burns to 70-75 percent of his body.

He was airlifted to UC Davis Medical Center and then transferred to Shriners Hospital for Children.

The teacher received minor burns and was treated at a different hospital and released.
Colusa County Sheriff's Department is still investigating and they have asked the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration to step in and conduct its own investigation.