VA child burned from sparkler bought off of an ice cream truck

Nine-year-old Kevin Portillo is being treated for burns over almost half his body after a sparkler set his shirt on fire. Loudoun County Chief Fire Marshal Keith Brower says his office traced that sparkler to an ice cream truck working Portillo’s neighborhood near Sugarland Run Drive.

Portillo was burned Monday while playing with other children behind his townhouse. Brower says it appears the child did not stop, drop and roll, but ran with his shirt in flames. Relatives say an adult knocked him to the ground and put out the fire.

Investigators staked out the neighborhood and found the ice cream truck. Pictures from the Loudoun County Fire Marshal’s Office show signs from the side of the truck advertising ice cream, candy and fireworks. Brower says illegal sparklers were confiscated from the truck.

The operator of the truck has been served with summonses for a variety of fireworks violations.