SAN MATEO — A helicopter flew a 1-year-old San Mateo boy to Stanford Hospital this morning after he scalded himself with a hot cup of tea, officials said.

No immediate word was available on his condition, but San Mateo fire Battalion Chief Mike Borean said the boy has severe burns to his chest.

Officials went to the 1800 block of Echo Avenue at about 9 a.m. and decided the boy was hurt badly enough to be taken by helicopter. Borean said nurses aboard Life Flight helicopters are able to do more procedures than ground-based medical technicians. Also, when a patient arrives by helicopter they avoid going through the triage process in the emergency room, enabling the person to get treated faster, he said.

The helicopter took off from a sports field next to Bayside Middle School at about 9:40 a.m.