Two children doused with gas, lit on fire in Air Ronge

Air Ronge burning was accidental, says mom The mom of a boy who doused two kids with gasoline and set them on fire in northern Saskatchewan says the incident was accidental.

Emergency crews in northern Saskatchewan say two children were doused with gasoline and set on fire by another child over the weekend.

RCMP responded to the incident Sunday in Air Ronge, a community just south of La Ronge. Mounties have so far only described the incident as an altercation, but paramedics confirmed to CTV the two injured children were doused with gas and lit on fire.

One woman who spoke with CTV said she was outside her home with a cigarette at about 1 a.m. Sunday when she saw three crying children walking down the street. Two of the three were badly burned. The third child ran away when she said she was calling the police.

The two injured children, an eight-year-old boy and his 11-year-old sister, stayed with the woman in her home as she called 911. The boy had burns on his face and was losing consciousness, she said. The girl’s hair was burned and she was crying.

The two blamed the third child, a boy, the woman said.

The grandmother of the two victims claims the two were attacked by the boy when they were walking home. She told APTN the third child sprayed them and set them on fire.

One of the two victims, the eight-year-old, was airlifted to hospital in Saskatoon. The girl was taken to hospital in La Ronge.

The eight-year-old was still in hospital Tuesday with burns to his face, according to his grandmother. He was still set to see an eye specialist and was also suffering from smoke inhalation.

The girl has been released with minor burns and singed hair, the grandmother said.

The boy accused in the incident cannot be charged because he is under the age of 12, according to RCMP.

Saskatchewan’s Child and Family Services Act gives the Ministry of Social Services authority over situations similar to this case, police say.

The ministry has been unable to comment on the case, however, because of provisions in the act.

--- based on a report by Rachelle Elsiufi and with files from APTN’s Larissa Burnouf

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article stated the incident happened in La Ronge. The incident, in fact, occurred in Air Ronge.