A cannon fire that was set off as part of a Civil War re-enactment at a Utah town parade injured three children on Saturday night, New York Daily News reported.
Two boys and a girl, between the ages of 10 and 12, were injured by a cannon fire after the device used by a group of Civil War re-enactors malfunctioned in Orem, Utah. Witnesses said two of the three children injured were initially engulfed in flames, according to CNN affiliate KUTV.
The blast happened at the start of the parade, the city's Department of Public Safety said.
After the cannon was set off, sparks landed in a pouch that had additional charges for the cannon, the city stated in a release, according to TV station FOX13 in Salt Lake City.
"When the flames went up in the air these three children started crying. One little girl's clothes were on fire, we're told," witness Brittany Tait told KUTV. "People were running with water to douse her."
The smoldering ember set off the contents of the pouch, blowing it up and injuring all three children involved with the Civil War reenactment group, the press release explained.
"Originally there was just a bunch of smoke, and we saw a kid duck out from underneath and then we saw three different kids on fire," witness Corina Johnson told FOX13. "There were people yelling to stop, drop and roll, water bottles flying so they could get some things going."
The children were transported to a local hospital, according to UPI.
Although the city stated the children are in stable condition, the extent of the injuries was not immediately unknown, the station reported.
Johnson, who helped initially to treat the children, said they all suffered first- or second-degree burns on their waists and arms, according to NYDN.
