A mother has shared her deepest pain after her young son was badly burned in a tragic fire.

Twelve-year-old Hunter Jory from Sheffield was playing with friends when a small fire turned into an explosion. Another child threw petrol on the flames, and Hunter was engulfed. “When I got the call, I thought he’d been hit by a car,” his mother Kim recalled. “I never imagined he’d been set on fire.”

Hunter suffered severe burns to his face, legs, and hands. He cried out in agony, begging his mother: “Mum, just kill me.” Doctors said he will need multiple skin grafts as he grows, and his scars will remain permanent.

Kim says her son still struggles to understand how his appearance has changed. She is urging parents to warn children about the dangers of fire. “You don’t expect it to happen to your child,” she said. “Hunter is lucky he ran the way he did, or he might not be here today.”

This story is a powerful reminder: one careless moment with fire can change lives forever.