How a garden hose caused this little boy's horrific second-degree burns

A young boy has been left with second-degree burns after scorching summer weather turned a common garden item lethal.

Nine-month-old Nicholas was playing with his family’s garden hose at their home in Phoenix, Arizona, when he began screaming.

His mother, Domnique Woodger, believed her son was simply afraid of the water, but as his skin started to blister, she realised the gravity of the situation, US television station KNXV reported.

“I thought he was crying because he was mad… he hates when he gets sprayed in the face,” Ms Woodger said.

“I didn’t think that it was burning him.”

With the hose left out in the sun on a scorching day reaching a temperature in the 40s, the water inside had drastically heated up and was believed to be about 65 degrees.

As Nicholas’ skin began to peel and blister, Ms Woodger rushed her son to hospital. Thankfully, the child is expected to make a full recovery.

“At those temperatures, something as short as a 10 or 30-second exposure can result in a second-degree burn,” Captain Larry Subervi with the Phoenix Fire Department told KNXV.

Ms Woodger warned other parents of the dangers of hosepipes, while the Las Vegas Fire Department shared harrowing photos of Nicholas’ injuries to warn residents about the intense summer heat.

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“Let the water flow a few minutes to cool before spraying on people or animals,” the fire department advised.