GRAPHIC: Woman who suffered third-degree burns from electric blanket warns others
FARGO, N.D. (KVLY/Gray News) - A North Dakota woman is warning others after she suffered third-degree burns from an electric blanket.
Leslie Scott’s ordeal started just over two months ago when she decided to buy a heated blanket. She went to bed with the blanket on Dec. 6. The following day, she quickly noticed she had been burned, KVLY reports.
“I woke up, got ready, went to work, and on my way to work, I was like, ‘Why is my leg on fire?’” Scott said. “I made it to work... and I went and checked. I had a blister and my skin missing from my leg.”
Scott’s doctor says she suffered third-degree burns in her right lower leg, and the pain is still there.
“I do have pain. My leg swells up,” Scott said.
She now regularly has to drive nearly an hour from her home in Twin Valley to meet her doctor to treat the burns. She has one or two more months of treatment remaining.
Scott wants to spread the message that although it seems like a good idea to use heated apparel during the winter months, that’s not always the case.
“I just want others not to get burned, as well,” she said.
West Fargo Fire gave KVLY some insight on what to look out for when using heated apparel or blankets.
“Falling asleep could cause an issue, too much exposure. We want to be careful that we want debris around these things to be clear. When we’re not using them, we want to unplug them,” said Darin Underhill, fire inspector at West Fargo Fire.
The National Fire Protection Association says fires involving space heaters or anything that heats up to keep a person warm account for more than a quarter of home fires.
“Just be aware. Don’t leave those things unattended. That’s where a lot of the problems come from, and then, also, just read the instructions when you get it. It sounds really simple but, again, knowing the limits of that item,” Underhill said.
The heated blanket Scott was using was the SunBeam brand. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, SunBeam heated blankets were recalled in 2023 because of burn and fire risks. The recall included blankets that were sold between 2022 and 2023.
Scott purchased her blanket in 2024, so it appears this particular blanket was not involved in the recall.
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