Burn victim files second lawsuit against hunting club after member poured gas onto campfire

LUFKIN - A burn victim has filed a second lawsuit claiming she was engulfed in flames when a hunting club member poured gasoline onto a campfire. 

Recia A. Guillory and Debet A. Hebert filed suit against Bear Creek Hunting Club on Jan. 22 in the Eastern District of Texas, Lufkin Division

According to the suit, on Jan. 22, 2011, teenager Recia Guillory was at the club sitting around a campfire with friends. One of the club's members then allegedly poured gasoline from a container onto the fire to accelerate the flames.

The gasoline ignited and caused an explosion of the container, engulfing Guillory in flames, the suit states.

Due to the severity of the burns, Guillory was transported by helicopter to Shriner’s Hospital for Children in Galveston, according to the suit.

The plaintiffs initially filed a lawsuit against Bear Creek Hunting Club member Jeffrey Kilgore, which is scheduled for trial in November 2013.

Within that lawsuit, Kilgore admits he did not warn the teenager that he was going to pour a flammable liquid onto the campfire, which he believed was diesel not gasoline. Kilgore denied the other allegations. He was also badly burned in the incident.

In the second suit, Bear Creek Hunting Club is accused of negligence for failing to implement, rules, warnings, policies and/or procedures to prevent the type of incident that occurred, failing to properly oversee its members to insure negligent activities such as accelerating fires with gasoline did not occur, and for failing to implement rules regarding the responsible use of alcohol by its members.

Guillory and Hebert are seeking an award of damages for physical impairment, disfigurement, medical expenses, pain and suffering, mental anguish and exemplary damages.

The plaintiffs are represented by Houston attorney Aaron Pool and M. Matt Jeff of Donato, Minx, Brown & Pool in Houston. A jury trial is requested.

U.S. District Judge Ron Clark is assigned to the case.

Case No. 9:13-cv-00020