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Actor Injured in Fire-Breathing Stunt Returns Home

By Alex Parker | February 7, 2013 4:34pm
 Actor Wesley Daniel suffered second-degree burns to his face and neck when a fire-breathing stunt went wrong. But doctors sent him home on Feb. 7, 2013, and expect him to recover fully with no scarring.
Actor Wesley Daniel suffered second-degree burns to his face and neck when a fire-breathing stunt went wrong. But doctors sent him home on Feb. 7, 2013, and expect him to recover fully with no scarring.
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Loyola University Medical Center

CHICAGO — The fire-breathing stilt walker badly burned in an accident earlier this week has left the hospital and doctors say they expect a full recovery.

“Probably about six months from now this will be a bad memory,” said Loyola University Medical Center burn surgeon Dr. Arthur Sanford, who spoke at a press conference shortly before actor Wesley Daniel was released.

Daniel was performing a fire-breathing stunt during a dress rehearsal of the Lyric Opera’s performance of Richard Wagner's "Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg" when flames engulfed his head.

Daniel suffered second-degree burns to his neck and lower face, but doctors said today his injuries are more like a “deep sunburn.”

“We don’t get scars from sunburns,” Sanford said. “We expect him to heal his wounds without any operations probably in seven to 10 days after the accident.

Daniel's father, Clifton Daniel, said his son likely won’t be doing any more fire-breathing stunts.

“I don’t think I’m going to have to urge him to skip that,” he said during a press conference at Loyola. “He doesn’t seem really keen on doing it again.”