By Susan K. Lamb Riverbend News
A Christmas night gathering in the Old Sugar Mill Farm subdivision off State Road 51 in Live Oak ended in tragedy when six people were burned by a backyard campfire and one of those injured died.
Suwannee County Fire Rescue (SCFR) was called on Friday, Dec. 25, around 8 p.m. and, upon arrival, found a campfire burning in the backyard with several persons around it who had sustained burn injuries requiring immediate medical attention.
"It was a family gathering with a campfire and a person did die," said Suwannee County Sheriff Sam St. John. "They had a family gathering behind the house," he said. St. John said a person at the home poured some type of flammable liquid on the fire. "He didn't think there was anything in there to cause that type of flame. Six were injured, all six went to Gainesville," St. John said. "Three by life-flight, including the lady who died and three by ambulance," he stated. The sheriff's office’s official report was not complete by press time.
SCFR Chief Eddie Hand said the state fire marshal's office is investigating this along with SCFR Fire Marshal Tim White and the Suwannee County Sheriff's Office.
SCFR Fire Marshal Tim White is in charge locally of investigating this fire situation for SCFR. "It was a family gathering on Christmas night where they had a recreational fire in the back of their yard," stated White. "The fire was going out and someone poured a flammable liquid, unclear at this point what that was and it caused a vapor explosion with several injuries due to it." White said the cause is under investigation by him as the local fire marshal in partnership with the Florida Bureau of Fire and Arson Investigations Law Enforcement Investigator Brock Dietz. Due to HIPAA laws, which must be observed by rescue personnel, White nor Hand were able to comment further.