Beach rocks that burst into flames in O.C. woman's pocket tested
May 17, 2012 | 9:04 am
Beach rocks that burst into flames in a San Clemente woman’s pocket were being tested, authorities said Thursday.
The 43-year-old woman, whose name was not released, was hospitalized for second- and third-degree burns. She had collected seven colored rocks, known by locals as trestles, while visiting San Onofre State Beach with her family on Saturday, Orange County fire officials told KABC-TV.
She had returned home for about an hour when, apparently because of the friction, the rocks caught fire, igniting her shorts.
When the rocks fell to the floor, they continued to burn the wood floor of her house. Her husband’s hands were also burned as he tried to help her, and the “rocks were still smoking when firefighters took them to the hospital,” Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Marc Stone told the Orange County Register.
Orange County officials told KABC that the incident remained under investigation, and authorities from the county health agency said two of the rocks contained a "phosphorus substance," a chemical element that can be highly flammable.
Published: May 16, 2012 Updated: May 17, 2012 12:05 p.m.
Woman burned after picking up rocks at beach
By ERIKA I. RITCHIE / THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
SAN CLEMENTE – A 43-year-old woman is undergoing surgery after two rocks that she collected at a South County beach ignited in the pocket of her shorts, officials from Orange County Fire Authority said.
The incident happened about 3:30 p.m. Saturday when the woman was standing in her kitchen after returning from an outing to Trestles Beach. She had been home for about an hour when the pocket of her cargo shorts caught fire, OCFA Capt. Marc Stone said.
The woman tried to stop, drop and roll but was unsuccessful in getting the flames out, Stone said.
Her husband also tried to help and got second-degree burns when he tried to pull the shorts off, Stone said. The rocks, described as small, the size of a hamburger patty, smooth and orange and green in color, fell from the shorts onto the floor and continued to burn the wood floor and fill the house with smoke.
Firefighters responded immediately to the home on Avenida Estrella. When they arrived, the husband had successfully gotten the shorts off his wife and was hosing her down on the front deck with a garden hose, Stone said.
Paramedics treated the woman for severe second- and third-degree burns on her right leg from her thigh to her knee and on her right arm, Stone said. The husband also was treated for second-degree burns on his arm.
Both were taken to Western Medical Center in Santa Ana. Firefighters took the rocks with them to show to doctors, Stone said.
"I talked to the paramedic who treated her, and in his 27 years in responding to calls near the beach, he's never seen this," Stone said. "The rocks were still smoking when firefighters took them to the hospital."
OCFA hazardous materials unit was consulted. The rocks have been taken to Orange County Public Heath and are undergoing testing to see what happened, Stone said. "Tests are expected to take a few weeks because they are dealing with an unknown.
"There is phosphorous that naturally occurs on the sand at the beach, but no one has ever heard of pants catching fire," Stone said.
Contact the writer: 949-454-7307 or eritchie@ocregister.com or twitter.com/lagunaini
Published: May 17, 2012 Updated: 1:57 p.m.
Rocks that burned woman sent to state for study
By ERIKA I. RITCHIE / THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
SAN CLEMENTE – Two rocks that spontaneously ignited in a San Clemente woman's shorts are being sent to a state lab for more testing, officials with Orange County Public Health said Thursday.
The two rocks, smooth and orange and green, were tested at the agency Monday after a 43-year-old woman was severely burned Saturday an hour after she and her daughters collected seven rocks at Trestles State Beach.
Article Tab: Officials with Orange County Public Health have sent two rocks found at Trestles State Beach to a state lab for review.
Officials with Orange County Public Health have sent two rocks found at Trestles State Beach to a state lab for review.
The agency determined that a phosphate substance was on two rocks and that the other five had been cross-contaminated.
"The rocks are being sent to a state lab to verify our findings," Tricia Lindquist, a spokeswoman with the healthcare agency said. "We have no clue what the phosphate is coming from. Since they were found at a state beach they will go to a state lab and from there it will be determined what state agency will look at them."
Lindquist said it is expected to take at least two more weeks to test the rocks.
Trestles, where the rocks were first collected, is next to the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station and the Camp Pendleton Marine base.
San Clemente Island, 20 miles off the coast of Trestles Beach, is owned and operated by various naval commands. The island has at least a dozen ranges there.
Capt. Barry Edwards who overseas operations at Camp Pendleton, said base officials and emergency personnel are standing by in case the county health agency needs assistance. Edwards said Base officials did get a query from the San Diego Hazardous Materials Incident Response Team about the burning rocks.
"At this time we're not linked to the incident," Edwards said.
The incident was first reported to the Orange County fire Authority on Saturday at 3:33 p.m. when a 911 call reporting a 'woman on fire in her home' came into the Orange County Fire Authority.
The 43-year-old was in her kitchen when her shorts suddenly burst into flames from the rocks in her right pocket. She tried to 'stop, drop and roll' but was unsuccessful in getting the flames out, Capt. Marc Stone said.
Her husband also tried to help and got second-degree burns when he tried to pull the shorts off, Stone said. The rocks, described as small, the size of a hamburger patty, smooth and orange and green in color, fell from the shorts onto the floor and continued to burn the wood floor and fill the house with smoke.
Firefighters responded immediately to the home on Avenida Estrella. When they arrived, the husband had successfully gotten the shorts off his wife and was hosing her down on the front deck with a garden hose, Stone said.
Paramedics treated the woman for severe second- and third-degree burns on her right leg from her thigh to her knee and on her right arm, Stone said. The husband also was treated for second-degree burns on his arm.
Both were taken to Western Medical Center in Santa Ana. Firefighters took the rocks with them to show to doctors, Stone said. The rocks were still smoking while they were transported.
The woman is undergoing surgery for the third degree burns Thursday.
Contact the writer: 949-454-7307 or eritchie@ocregister.com or twitter.com/lagunaini