A MUM has called for better education about putting out beach fires, after her 19-month-old daughter was left screaming in pain after she burned her foot on Abersoch beach.

Monica Stott’s daughter, Alba Barnes, burned her foot on a patch of sand where a fire had been covered up.

Despite the flames being put out, the wood and material remained extremely hot under the sand.

Monica told the Cambrian News about the moment her daughter stepped on the fire.

She said: “It was around 10am when we got to the beach to set up camp. We noticed a few burned pieces of wood but we thought nothing of it at first.

“My daughter, Alba, went for a wander and she suddenly started screaming. It was a different type of scream to what I’ve heard before so I knew something was wrong.

“She had walked over a fire. There was only sand covering it.”

Monica, who is from Wrexham and has a static caravan in Abersoch, continued: “We were near the steps by Mickey’s Boatyard as it’s good to be able to sit on the steps.

“They had tried to cover the fire in sand that put out the flames but the fire was still extremely hot. This was also right next to a fresh water pipe which could have been used to cool down the fire.”

Monica gave an update on her daughter, saying: “She is amazing.

"She’s been a little trooper. She’s not putting any weight on her foot and she’s hopping around showing people the blister. She’s been very brave.

“There have been calls from people to get fires banned from the beach, but I don’t think that will happen. I think people need to be more educated to properly put their fires out and to not just bury them.

“There is more trouble with burying the fires than leaving them burning. At least if they are burning, people can see them more clearly.”

The injury to Alba follows a similar incident in Barmouth on 30 May, when beach-goer Danny Howard received fourth-degree burns after stepping on hot sand where a disposable barbecue had been used on Barmouth beach.

Barry Davies, Gwynedd Council maritime officer said: “Whilst it is not illegal to light fires on beaches, we urge the public to take particular care if they are lighting campfires and barbecues in any public place.

“Use water to put out your fire, using sand can be particularly dangerous as it locks in heat and may not be obvious to other beach-goers. We would also remind people to take all rubbish - including used barbecues - home with them and dispose of their waste in a responsible manner.

“We send Alba our best wishes for a speedy recovery.”