Sonoma mom says ‘it’s not your turn to burn’

In the two years since Nicolette Lewis, 18, was gravely injured in a fire pit explosion in her Sonoma Valley backyard, her mother Margrett has been thinking of nothing but helping her daughter through a series of grueling surgeries, keeping up with schoolwork from Justin-Siena High School and protecting the entire family's mental health during this difficult time.

And these challenges remain; Nicolette has had more than 20 surgeries since 2014 when she was roasting marshmallows with friends.

But Margrett Lewis has added a new challenge to her plate, but one she thinks is vital – launching a national campaign to stop preventable flammable liquid explosions.

Margrett's website, NotYourTurnToBurn.com, lays out the issue. In short, Margrett believes that if flammable liquid manufacturers added a 5 cent screen (similar to the plastic seal atop a supermarket spice container) to every product they sold, hundreds of men, women and children would be saved from massive burn accidents each year.

“Five cents, that's all it would take,” said Margrett. “And manufacturers know the science behind these flame arresters is solid. But whether it is profit motive or fear of admitting the problem, they haven't made this simple design change yet.”

Added Margrett: “But they need to. Now. Before anyone else is hurt.”

The simple science is that fire can travel upstream from even the smallest flame back into the flammable liquid in one's hand, even many feet away. “It's like an invisible blow torch,” she said. “You can be 14 feet away from a flame and the fire jetting can travel through liquid or vapors and cause a severe burn.”

She describes these “catastrophic injuries,” as resulting in hospital stays costing upward of $30,000 per patient per day.

“And patients can be hospitalized for months or even years,” said Margrett. “All for the want of piece of plastic that costs a nickel.”

Glen Stevick is among the nation's leading scientists studying the dangers of flammable products. Stevick said, “A simple plastic or metal screen, of almost any type, even holes punched into a lid are a barrier to ignition, and would prevent the vast majority of all flammable liquid burns that happen worldwide each year.”

Margrett is quick to point out that children are the victims in 40 percent of documented explosion cases.

In the past three months, Margrett has brought her proposal to everyone from Congressman Mike Thompson and Berkeley's Fire Research Lab to burn-support group the Phoenix Society and agents from Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. She has been both happy and horrified to learn that manufacturers are aware of this simple fix but have dragged their heels in implementation.

“How many more people need to suffer burns that are completely preventable?,” she asks each group she meets.

She communicates regularly with a network of families affected by these kinds of burns and they share articles each time a new incident hits the papers. Warmly, but with heavy hearts, they are frequently adding new members to their ranks.

Recent headlines Margrett lists include a UCLA grad student in a chemistry lab; preschoolers at a children's museum in Nevada; a bartender setting a customer on fire in Moscow; a Denver high school student in a classroom explosion.

According to Margrett's research, almost a third of all beds in any given burn unit are taken up by people who have been burned by a liquid that would never have been ignited with a simple flame arrester.

“Without a screen in place, an invisible flame jet can throw a person back against a wall and burn skin with temperatures higher than those in a crematorium,” said Margrett. “It's that powerful.”

Margrett says she's tired. The entire family is fragile as a result of 24 months of grueling hospital stays and treatments, while attempting to balance a normal home life for Nicollete's twin sister Ally and dad Jeff.

Tears still come easily, but these days they are frequently replaced by anger at the resistance Margrett faces from manufacturers. But she is determined to reach the point where companies either add these screens out of safety concerns for their consumers, or are required to do so by law.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which controls workplace safety, demands flame arresters in restaurants, bars, hotels and at catered events for the safety of employees but, at this time, no measures are in place or required to control flammable liquids in residential and school environments.

“I'm not try to get any products banned or removed from the market,” Margrett said. “It's just a small retrofit and I lay awake nights trying to figure out why this hasn't been taken care of yet – and how, somehow, I have come to be the person leading this fight.”

Margrett and Stevick both note that one company has been voluntarily using the screens for year. The next time you pour a shot of Bacardi 151, look at the spout. Margrett finds only a little comfort in knowing the safety precaution is slowly getting out there.

“It is so frustrating to know that a solution exists and yet manufacturers are letting these accidents continue to happen,” said Margrett. “I am hoping that by raising awareness, common sense will prevail.”

Margrett is in constant motion and rarely sleeps. She criss-crosses the country with Nicolette seeking treatment for her daughter's scars that have been resistant to healing. Her free time is devoted to the “Not Your Turn to Burn” campaign. She is in constant motion but feels that even a moment wasted might add another burn victim to their ranks.

“There is a measure of healing in assuring the safety and protection of others,” said Margrett. “At least we are hoping so.”

Contact Lorna at lorna.sheridan@sonomanews.com.

Watch a video to learn more about Nicolette's treatment.