What was supposed to be a routine day at Kellogg Park in La Jolla ended in screams and a hospital dash last Tuesday, when the family of a one-year-old says the toddler stepped on buried hot coals and ash and suffered severe burns to both feet. According to a new lawsuit, the child needed emergency hospitalization, procedures under anesthesia and now faces ongoing pain along with permanent disfigurement.
In a lawsuit obtained by Times of San Diego, the toddler's mother, Sarah Varni Goldberg, recounts how her son screamed as the skin on his feet peeled and swelled. The complaint says he could not walk for a period of time and that the injuries have left lasting scars. The family is asking for punitive damages and compensation for the emotional and psychological fallout of the incident.
Local television coverage identified the child as Sennan Goldberg and quoted his mother describing "full-thickness second-degree burns" that now require daily visits to burn specialists. As reported by ABC 10News, the family says the coals were buried near a charcoal pit at the park and is calling for tighter restrictions on charcoal use at family-oriented beaches and shoreline parks.
What the Lawsuit Alleges
The complaint accuses the City of San Diego of failing to provide designated receptacles for hot coals, neglecting to clear ash from pedestrian areas and not posting adequate warning signs to alert visitors to the danger of hidden embers. The family argues that those lapses exposed a toddler to a well-known hazard and is seeking punitive damages in addition to money for emotional distress and continuing medical care.
Their attorney, Maria Severson, pointed to prior cases involving similar burns at city parks. "The city of San Diego has had prior claims where a child has been burned by hot coals and ash at city parks. This is both unfortunate and unacceptable," she said, according to Times of San Diego.
City Response and Park Rules
The City of San Diego describes Kellogg Park as a shoreline park with a playground and public showers and publishes basic hours and site rules on its parks webpage. Official guidance from the City of San Diego generally limits open fires to designated fire pits. Local reporting has noted, however, that those rules are not always followed and that buried coals have caused injuries in the past.
As ABC 10News reported, Sennan's family is now pushing for clearer disposal options for hot coals, more visible warnings and stricter enforcement of existing rules at parks that cater heavily to families with young children.
Why It Matters
Coals and ash can stay dangerously hot long after the flames disappear, which turns grassy areas, lawns and walkways near shoreline parks into potential minefields for barefoot kids. The lawsuit characterizes Sennan's injuries as entirely preventable and urges the city to adopt clearer disposal and cleanup protocols so that buried coals do not linger as hidden hazards under the sand or grass.
Federal park guidance backs up those concerns, noting that embers and charcoal can remain hot for hours or even days and continue to pose a burn risk to visitors. That warning, cited in National Park Service guidance, is at the heart of why advocates say cities like San Diego need stronger measures to keep families safe at popular waterfront parks.
