Fire in chem class

Dave Brooks

A classroom experiment turned dangerous Friday at Huntington Beach

High School.

Junior Brian Cross, 17, and sophomore Tyler Haunreiter, 16, were

severely burned during a chemistry class project on the last day of

school. The students were injured when their college prep experiment

using methyl alcohol exploded during a class demonstration at about

7:30 a.m.

Doctors said that Cross suffered second- and third-degree burns to

38% of his body including parts of his face, chest and neck. Dr. A.

Richard Grossman, medical director at the Grossman Burn Center in

Santa Ana where the boys are being treated, said Haunreiter also

sustained second-degree burns to his head and face.

School officials said Friday’s experiment was a controlled class

exercise and that none of the other 35 students in the classroom were

injured. Neither of the boys were said to have been wearing goggles

at the time of the incident, but their eyes were not damaged.

The pair underwent surgery Monday at the Grossman Burn Center,

with surgeons using cadaver skin to graft over the burn areas.

Grossman said that Cross will probably have to wear a specialized

mask apparatus due to third-degree burns around the front and back of

his neck. He might have to undergo another surgery this week and his

wounds could take more than a year to heal.

Haunreiter had less severe burns and doctors were able remove most

of the burned skin and cover the area with laboratory grown cells.

Both teens were said to have a good prognosis and could be

released later in the week.

“Ultimately both boys will recover from this accident,” Grossman

said. “But we have to treat both of them very cautiously and take

this one day at a time.”

Cross was said to be closest to the flame during the accident. One

student told a local television news channel that Cross had lighted a

match and then the explosion took place and caught his shirt on fire.

Haunreiter was said to be standing just a few feet behind him.