Since the accident, Katie hadn t spent an entire week at school due to frequent doctor appointments and lingering pain. Sometimes she attended school just to practice with the band. Every year, the Palmerston North City Council removes wood from the Manawatū River to reduce the risk of flooding, which is then burnt in bonfires at Ahimate Park to mark Kōanga with Rangitāne.
WARWICK SMITH/Stuff
Katie Brunn fell in an unmarked and unfenced firepit. She needed to apply ointment to her burns 3 times a day. The accident happened in February on a dying bonfire created by members of the public. At the time, Katie said the wood hadn t been hot, but the sand beneath it was scolding.