Local

Boy severely burned after cellphone explodes in fire

ATLANTA — A 9-year-old boy is in the hospital with third-degree burns after his grandmother said a cellphone exploded after he dropped it in a fire.

Raymond Segars has burns to both his legs and his arm and is now in the burn center at Grady Memorial Hospital.

"I'm hurting a little bit," he told Channel 2's Tom Jones from his hospital bed.

Raymond's grandmother, Donna Dean, said his severe injuries are the result of a bizarre accident that has her warning anyone with a cellphone and around a fire.

"Oh my God. Do not get any cellphone anywhere near a fire. Please spread this word around all over to people. It's so dangerous. He could have been killed," Dean said.

Dean said Raymond, his younger sister and his 14-year-old aunt, were having an outdoor adventure in her back yard in Kennesaw.

She said the kids built a fire and were sitting around it. Dean said she made them put the fire out and went back in the house. She said they started the fire again.

Raymond was on his aunt's cellphone playing games and accidentally dropped the phone in the fire, Dean said.

She said he reached to grab it and the phone exploded, setting him on fire.

"He was on fire immediately," she said.

They managed to put the fire out but not before Raymond suffered severe burns.

Raymond plays Little League football and is upset his season is over as he recovers.

He loves the Falcons and said it would cheer him up if Julio Jones, his favorite professional player, would pay him a visit.

Meanwhile, his grandmother said the incident has taught her a lesson.

"Do not mess with cellphones around fire at all," Dean said.

The family asks that people pray for Raymond. He has had one surgery and will have skin graft surgery Thursday.