A bonfire explosion in the city of Pierce, Idaho, has left eight people fighting for their lives, including two young women who suffered catastrophic burns. The blaze reportedly erupted after someone poured petrol onto the flames during a 4 July campout, and the incident matters both for the severity of the injuries and the questions it raises about the safety of the gathering.

Two of the victims have been publicly named as KC Matos, 22, and Emylee Macaluso, 20, according to their GoFundMe pages. Matos's mother, Roiann, said her daughter suffered burns to roughly 80 per cent of her body, including her face, arms and legs, and faces multiple surgeries, skin grafts and the possible loss of some fingers; doctors expect her to survive, though her mother fears walking again will be the hardest part of her recovery. The official cause has not been confirmed, with the Clearwater County Sheriff's Office awaiting the Idaho Fire Marshal's report before releasing further details.