A freak accident in Terrace, B.C. has claimed the life of a 13-year-old girl.
Grace Peerless was alone at her backyard fire pit when her hair and clothes caught fire.
Father Dennis Peerless said his youngest daughter couldn’t have fallen into the fire pit since it was raised two feet off the ground.
“It’s not a typical fire pit that you could even fall into,” he said.
No one really knows what happened at this point, but Dennis believes it could have been an ember landing on her head with hairspray acting as an accelerant.
After arriving at Mill Memorial Hospital, Grace was transferred to BC Children’s Hospital where doctors said she had suffered second- and third-degree burns to 25 to 30 per cent of her body.
Her father says her injuries were serious but everyone, including her doctors, expected her to recover.
She passed away early Saturday.
“For some reason, she went into cardiac arrest,” Dennis said.
A funeral service for Grace Peerless will be held on June 5 in Terrace. A GoFundMe page has been set up in her name.
“She was a sweet, beautiful kid,” Dennis said.
— With files from Aaron McArthur