The gas exploded. The Scout suffered second and third degree burns to his hands, arms, face and chest. Badly injured and in shock, he spent a few critical days in hospital. He needed two skin grafts and a long period of recovery. This accident happened despite warnings from the adult leaders that using white gas to start a fire was a dangerous practice.
Fire hazards are no joke.
We have a tendency to believe accidents will never happen in our camp. Until, that is, we experience a tragedy like the one described. All leaders want their camping experiences to be safe and successful. The leaders in charge in this case felt the same way. I'm sure they looked long and hard at their experience and took steps to assure it wouldn't happen again.