The Southern California teen was hospitalized with severe burns after flames exploded from a tabletop fire pit.
On July 6th, 18-year-old Viana Poggi was making S’mores with her family at Laguna Niguel’s home. Their fire pits require isopropyl (friction) alcohol to refill. When Poggi poured the liquid into the pit, they didn’t notice that a small flame was still burning inside.
The flames quickly flare and hit her face and hand on Podge.
“It was very hot, it was cold,” she recalls. “I feel like I’m being hit by lightning and it makes me feel sick. I feel frozen.”
18-year-old Viana Poggi was hospitalized for the second and third degree burns after the flames exploded from a tabletop fire pit on July 6, 2025. (KTLA) Vianna Poggi’s uplifting and light-hearted Tiktok video has seen millions of times documenting her recovery journey. (@viana06) vianna poggi.vianna poggi similar tabletop fire pit that caused severe burns to vianna poggi can be seen in personal photos. vianapoggi (right) was hospitalized with second and third degree burns after being fired on July 6th, viana poggi fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire fire 18, I was hospitalized for the second and third degree burns after the flames exploded from the tabletop fire pit on July 6, 2025. (Poggi family)
Her cousin, Alaina Albiso, acted quickly and pulled Podge into the pool before the emergency services arrived.
“She was on fire, so she didn’t know what else to do,” Arbiso told KTLA’s Rachel Menitov. “I was like, ‘Oh, oh my goodness! Fire, water, I’ll get there!” It was a fight and a flight until she left. [for the hospital]. ”
Poggi was rushed to a local burn unit by paramedics and treated for second and third degrees of burns.
She underwent two major skin surgeries. While recovering in the hospital and bandaged her head, Poggy decided to document her journey on social media and chose to look at the bright side.
Her light-hearted Tiktok video, filmed from her hospital room, focuses on seeing positive things in otherwise difficult situations. Her video has since been viewed millions.
Poggi hopes that by sharing her stories, she can warn others who own tabletop fire pits about the risks she will use them.
“You can’t hear it coming,” she said of the sudden flare-up. “You can’t see it coming. It’s instantaneous.”
She said hospital nurses appear to know of similar cases, including popular backyard products.
“Even when I got to the ICU, I told them I was flashed back on the fire, and they told me, ‘Is it rubbing alcohol?’ Because most of the burn patients there are usually burned in a fire like this,” Podge said.
Poggi recently hit a milestone when her bandages were eventually removed and she was able to return home. A recent high school alumni, Poggi is set to start his freshman year at the University of San Francisco in two weeks.
She worked three jobs to save college tuition fees, as a nail technician, swimming instructor and nanny. Despite the accident, Podge said she was very determined to continue moving forward and start college without delay.
“I just want to continue,” she said. “This ruined my July, but it doesn’t ruin my first year of college.”
Here is the GoFundMe page that supports Poggi with medical costs.
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