KAPOLEI, Hawaii (KHON) – Hawaii officials and a mother whose toddler suffered burns during what should have been a fun beach day are warning the public not to light bonfires on state beaches.

The 2-year-old is now recovering from second-degree burns.

Nicole Hosler and her family were kicking off Labor Day with an outing at Makua Beach when it was cut short just five minutes in.

“I just hear her like a blood-curdling scream, and she ran over and she said, ‘Mommy, my foot hurts, my foot hurts.’ And then something clicked, and I was like, ‘Okay, something’s in the sand,'” Hosler said, “This big puff of steam and smoke came up when I turned over the sand, and I was like, ‘Oh my God, this was, this was a fire pit.'”

The remnants of a fire had been buried in the sand and were still smoldering when 2-year-old Cora stepped on them, leaving her with second-degree burns on four of her toes.
Volunteers familiar with beach cleanups at Makua said simply covering the coals does not stop the heat.

“I think you shouldn’t make a fire at any beach, but to bury it after you make a fire is crazy. It does not put it out. It kind of just stays burning,” said Actions of Aloha CEO Puamakamae DeSoto.

Nicole said she has heard from other parents and pet owners who suffered similar burns and is grateful that Cora did not suffer more severe injuries.

“And God forbid she had wandered into something deeper because she’s 3 feet tall. It could have easily gone to her knee or her hip,” Hosler said.

The State Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) said fires are only permitted in designated camping grounds, and people are subject to fines and up to 30 days in jail if they break that rule.

“They don’t think about the person who’s going to walk on the beach or the family who’s going to walk on the beach next. They’re kind of just in the moment, and so I think there’s definitely just more opportunity to be more aware of what can happen or what will happen after you leave the beach,” DeSoto said.

Hosler said the unpleasant experience will not stop Cora from having beach days in the future.

“She’s a beach fan. So we want more beach days. It’s not going to stop us,” she said.

DLNR said in a statement that said in part:

“There are no designated picnicking or legal camping areas at Makua Beach, nor are people are permitted to make a fire anywhere on the sands. The report received from the individual who contacted you seems to indicate that the perpetrators left an unattended fire burning, which is a further violation of state park rules, even though they covered it with sand. At Makua Beach there is no lack of water for extinguishing fires as water can be taken directly from the ocean.”

“In addition, disposing of coals in the sand is not legal.  Even disposing of extinguished coals is littering of our public beaches.”