Hollywood director’s generous gift to hometown is too hot to handle

Last year, Ron Howard and his wife donated a Victorian-style love seat statue to Johnny Carson Park in Burbank. However, a local resident shared on social media Friday that he couldn't actually sit in those chairs —unless he wanted to suffer burn scars.

That's because the seats, made of bronze, have no shade anywhere in sight. Someone made the really, really poor decision to situate the chair in nonstop direct sunlight, and the bronze doesn't just get hot.

What Happened

He said even under 80-degree weather, he couldn't put a hand on the statue for more than a second. Behind the seats is a warning sign that cautions, in bold black letters, "Surface may be hot."

• The "kissing chair" consists of two seats facing the opposite direction melded together and is worth $88,440, according to the city.

• It was a couple kissing in the kissing chair.

• My brother drove by not long ago, snapped a picture with his iPhone.

Key Details

When the seats are not hot, it appears couples are using Howard's gift.

• Since they met, the director has had an illustrious career, directing flims like "A Beautiful Mind" and "Apollo 13." His brother is the actor Clint Howard and his daugther Bryce Dallas Howard has also.

• The director, now in his seventies, met her in high school, and the young couple "hung out and dated and necked" at the park, he said.

• Howard donated the chairs as an expression of his love for his wife Cheryl.

Why It Matters

Carr in his post pleaded for the city of Burbank to address the scalding, noting the purpose of the chairs were for couples to use.

What Reports Say

Coverage of the story so far points to:

• Continued reporting by Yahoo as more details emerge