LOGAN — A 19-year-old Logan woman is facing a prolonged hospital recovery after a propane smoker exploded in her face at a local restaurant, prompting family and friends to launch a community fundraising campaign.
Raquel Coombs was working her shift at Blackhawk BBQ Pit when she attempted to turn on the propane smoker, according to accounts shared by loved ones. The appliance exploded, throwing Coombs backward into a wall and inflicting burns across her face and third-degree burns to both hands.
Emergency personnel initially transported Coombs to Logan Regional Hospital before transferring her to the University of Utah Burn Unit in Salt Lake City for specialized care. Due to the severity of the burns, medical staff shaved her head to facilitate treatment.
Coombs has since undergone surgery on her hands to treat infections, with physicians anticipating at least a five-week stay in the hospital and continued care at an outpatient wound clinic. While relatives expect her facial burns to heal over the coming weeks, the deep tissue injuries to her hands will require extended rehabilitation.
The sudden ordeal has upended plans for Coombs, who is engaged and was preparing for an upcoming wedding. Her fiancé, Quinn Franchina, has been working 12-hour shifts while routinely making the roughly 85-mile commute between Cache Valley and Salt Lake City to stay by her bedside.
To ease the financial strain caused by lost income, travel expenses, and mounting medical costs, friends have organized an online fundraiser, asking the community for assistance. Organizers said donations will go directly toward helping the couple cover living costs, including rent and utility payments, as Coombs begins her recovery.