Masked Model, Turia Pitt, Talks Marathon Brushfire That Left Her Horribly Scarred

Turia Pitt was a 24-year-old model who decided to join Racing The Planet's ultra marathon in Australia this past September. What Pitt didn't realize is that participating in the race would change her life forever. Pitt recanted her tale of running through a wall of flames to a parliamentary inquiry earlier this week.

On September 2, Pitt, a part-time model and 2007 contestant in Miss Earth Australia, was participating in the 62-mile race when a wildfire trapped her, leaving her nowhere to go but through the flames. It just got hotter and hotter and hotter and I couldn't stand it anymore so I jumped up and tried to run and that's when I got burned, she revealed at the inquiry.

According to Pitt, the organizers gave participants of the race little warning of the danger of the brushfires. The UK Sun reports that instead of being worried about the fires, the organizers were more worried about snakes and crocodiles.

They told us to avoid the fires if there were fires, said Pitt who originally wasn't going to participate due to the £1,000 entry fee, reports the Daily Mail. It was more of a passing comment.

The model ended up suffering from 64 percent burns. She now has to wear a black pressure suit in order to help her healing process. Pitt may have to have between 10 to 15 operations, states the Huffington Post.

Turia Pitt wasn't the only one suffering. According to the Huffington Post, three others may be filing a civil action against Racing The Planet.

Thirty-six year old participant Kate Sanderson had to have half her left foot amputated, is missing pieces of her ear lobes, half her right index finger and suffers from scarring and disfigurement due to the fires.

Michael Hull, another victim, said that him and other participants tried to run from the fire, but we became trapped by the wall of flame. According to the Daily Mail, Hull suffered 20 percent burns.

The participants injured all agree that the event organizers should have done more to warn them of the impending danger of the fire.

Inquiry members will present their findings to Parliament in June.