GRAPHIC VIDEO: Fireworks catch two soldiers on fire at a military parade in Sullana, Peru where one soldier runs and one stops, drops, and rolls.
A military parade in Sullana, northwest Peru, ended in disaster on Sunday when a soldier’s clothes caught fire after he accidentally stepped on a flare. The soldier, who according to local media suffered second degree and third degree burns on eighty percent of his body, was dressed in military camouflage meant to look like vegetation — a disguise known as a Ghillie Suit. The speed with which the flames engulfed the soldier was startling. Bystanders scrambled to put out the blazing man, with some showering him in dust and others trying to rip his burning clothes off. The victim was eventually undressed and taken to a local hospital where he was treated for his injuries. Another soldier stopped, dropped and rolled and suffered superficial burns.
To enhance safety, the US Army Soldier Systems Center has developed an inherently fire resistant ghillie suit fabric to replace the jute or burlap. Jute is a long, soft, shiny vegetable that can be woven into coarse threads. This new material does not need to be treated with any additional flame retardant, as the fire resistance is inherent in the product and the fabric will self extinguish. the U.S. Army material was field tested in late 2007 at the Sniper School at Fort Benning and has been standard issue since June 2008.