When neighbors heard the screams of a young boy coming from a backyard alley, they rushed to find the Utah boy up in flames after accidentally setting himself on fire. By the time the flames were extinguished, the 7-year-old boy named Kaisen was covered in severe burns across his body. It was around 6:20 pm when Kaisen and his 9-year-old friend were out playing in the backyard alley on Saturday, August 7, 2021. The two boys had reportedly gotten hold of matches and gasoline, and they were trying to melt a fence down while playing together.
At some point, Kaisen set himself on fire and began screaming for help. Neighbors heard him and rushed out to find his body in flames. Quickly wrapping a blanket around him, the neighbors managed to put out the fire but only after the flames burned through most of his clothes. About 90 percent of Kaisen’s body was covered in second-degree burns, and he was rushed to the hospital. However, the child succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.
The news of Kaisen’s death left residents of the neighborhood grieving for the boy, who was well-known among most of the children he lived next to. “He’s like a little brother to us,” a neighborhood friend, Sito Tausinga. “Yeah, he was really close.” “He’s the one who brings everyone together,” Sito went on to say. “He has like no electronics, so he knocks on people’s houses and says, ‘Can your kids come play?’ And I see them all laughing outside and playing with him and it’s cute.”
Sito’s sister, Fane, also spoke about their 7-year-old neighbor and how he knew every kid on the street. “He would just come ride bikes with us, and then he started to know us, and my mom loved him,” Fane said.
Even on the day of the tragic accident, Kaisen had appeared at their front door and asked the two sisters if they wanted to join him outdoors. But that day, Fane and Sito decided not to join him. “I don’t know why — he just came and he was like, ‘I’m bored.’ And I opened the window and I said, ‘Go home.’ And three hours later, we found out there was a fire in the back,” Fane recalled.
When they heard that Kaisen did not survive, Fane and Sito were devastated to hear the friendly neighborhood boy had passed away. “My auntie called my mom, and we just heard my mom screaming, and we all came over here,” said Fane. “…I’m sad. I’m really sad.” As she keeps Kaisen’s family in her prayers, Fane added: “We love them so much, and we just want them to know we’re all here if they need anything.” The other boy, who was playing with Kaisen during the accident, came out of the incident without any injuries.