Four-year-old burned by rogue firework has been discharged

The young boy received second and third degrees burns when the fireworks party went wrong. Photo / Getty Images

The four-year-old boy who was burned by a rogue firework in Christchurch is home and back to his normal self.

Mason Timaloa received second and third degree burns when a church fireworks party went wrong.

Five others were injured but Mason was the last to be discharged from hospital yesterday evening.

His dad, Leon Timaloa, said the worst of Mason's burns are on his right, upper forearm.

Timaloa said they were around 15 metres away from the fireworks, behind a barrier, when for an unknown reason the firework began shooting at them. He wasn't sure if it had tipped over of started malfunctioning.

Mason was hit, and his clothes started burning. Dad Leon Timaloa said Mason was screaming as the embers burnt through three layers of clothing.

"We're just grateful for the support and help we had at the time, and that we were able to think fast and remove his clothes as fast as possible," Timaloa said.

"That's one thing we've always said - as long as it didn't hit his face. That'd be a different game if that happened."

Mason went to hospital, and plastic surgeons initially thought he might need surgery or skin grafts.

But he was released yesterday afternoon. Apart from a regular checks on the most severe burns, he's

"He's just gone back to his normal lifestyle, just playing around with his brother. There are some things he's limited to not doing, like going on the trampoline, and he's just got to have his hand elevated a lot of the time so the blood flows through to his arm."

Mason said the fireworks were "scary", but that he was "good" and pleased to be at home running around.

Timaloa said they don't blame the church for what happened.

He said he doesn't think public firework sales should be banned, but that people should be careful around them, and try be as far away from live fireworks as they can.