CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. — An incident in Cheektowaga last Thursday evening resulted in three young girls being burned while trying to toast marshmallows and leaving one of them critically hurt.
South Line Fire Department Chief Andrew Dayton tells us when firefighters arrived at a home on Jeffery Drive they found the three young girls laying in the yard.
At that home, along with their mother, live four sisters: 7-year-old Madison, 9-year-old twins Cadence and Kennedy, and 4-year-old Aria Czerniejewski.
Cheektowaga Police say the girls suffered their injuries "after a small alcohol-fueled fire being used to cook marshmallows spilled over."
According to a source, the girls had gathered near a small tabletop fire pit that uses rubbing alcohol as fuel, and which is commonly sold at a variety of stores.
"They were trying to make s'mores and there was an explosion and the fuel sprayed out and landed on the girls," said Richard Stark, the girls' uncle.
While Kennedy was able to escape injury, Madison and Aria suffered burns severe enough to be taken to Oishei Children's Hospital from which they have since been discharged.
However, Cadence was injured much more seriously and had to be taken to Kessler Burn Treatment Center at Golisano Children's Hospital, at Strong Memorial in Rochester where she remains.
"It's going to be a long road to recovery... she suffered severe severe burns," said Stark. "It's day to day... she's stabilized from the initial trauma which was very serious, and they are looking for next steps in terms of multiple surgeries. There will likely be lots of skin graft operations and she suffered a large area of burns,"
In the meantime, a GoFundMe page has been established not only to help with medical expenses but to also assist the girls' mother as she seeks to stay with Cadence in Rochester.
"She is at her bedside and we, along with other relatives, are caring for the three girls and we are planning to take them out to Rochester to visit them this week," Stark said.
According to Stark, the family is overwhelmed and grateful for the generosity being shown by others in this time of need.
As their investigation continues, Cheektowaga Police say the girls' mother was present during the incident, and that at this point there is nothing to suggest this was anything other than a tragic accident.