A rare accident sends a boy to the hospital for burn injuries. The 8-year-old was playing at Golden Hills Park near Rockrimmon and Delmonico Monday when he stepped in a waste pile of coal dust that was super-heated by sunlight.

The boy is still in the hospital. His mother told 11 News that he has second to third degree burns on his foot and needs surgery. He is expected to make a full recovery.

“There's coal fines on top of the ground. They determined that radiant heat from the sun caused it to combust and that’s what created the fire," said Kurt Shroeder with Colorado Springs City Park Department.

"There was surface temperatures of 800 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s not normal," said Sandy Friedman with the Springs Fire department. That's four times hotter than a typical surface heated by the sun.

Firefighters said it's rare this would happen again, but in the next few days, a thick layer of dirt will cover up this pile of coal dust.

Until the parks department can cover up the area, firefighters are spraying water on this to keep it cool.

From Rockrimmon to Palmer Park, the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety said there are abandoned underground coal mines. In the next few weeks, the agency will look at them, which was scheduled before this accident.