MOUNT VERNON — Never are fires more tragic than when they are set by children. Several recent fires in central Ohio, including two fatal house fires last month in Columbus, have been set by children as young as 4 years old.
Four-year-old Dion Clark is believed to have set clothing on fire while playing with matches on July 11. Trapped in the basement, the boy was pulled from the fire by firefighters, but died a short time later.
On July 30, another 4-year-old playing with a lighter started a fire which quickly spread through a Columbus home. A 41-year-old woman was killed and a 7-month-old baby injured.
Last year, 639 Ohio fires were started by juveniles, according to the Ohio Division of State Fire Marshal’s Office. According to spokesman Matt Mullins, 47 injuries and one death were caused by those fires. Twenty-four firefighters were injured while fighting the fires, and $5.6 million in property was damaged.
This year in Knox County, firefighters have responded to several fires set by children. A 12-year-old Fredericktown youth was charged with setting a fire at the Fredericktown Intermediate School on April 10. No one was injured in the fire, which caused minor property damage. The boy later pleaded guilty to the charge and entered a treatment program.
Mount Vernon Fire Chief Shawn Christy said his department has responded to approximately six fires set by juveniles in the past 18 months.
The Central Ohio Joint Fire District has fought two house fires this year started by children playing with fire. The COJFD responded to a house fire on Eckard Road last month, a fire the department determined was caused by children playing with a candle.
Another house fire in Centerburg, on Clayton Street, was started by a 3-year-old playing with a lighter and a candle. According to COJFD officials, the Jan. 31 fire caused two injuries, one to an adult who tried to remove the ignited mattress from the house, and one to one of the responding firefighters.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, children playing with fire causes hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries each year. Preschool-age children are the most likely to start and be killed by these fires. The fires are most often started by children playing with matches or lighters.
These fires are the leading cause of fire deaths among preschoolers, causing 40 percent of home fire-related deaths among children under age 5. Most of the people killed by these fires are age 4 or younger.
Chief Deputy State Fire Marshal Donald Cooper said the fire marshal’s office is concerned about the recent fires in the state involving children playing with fire.
“Recently we’ve had some tragic fires in Ohio started by children playing with candles, lighters and matches,” Cooper said. “Any fire involving a child is one too many. That’s why it’s important for firefighters, educators and parents to work together to teach children about the hazards of fire.”
Teaching children about the danger of playing with fire should begin early. According to Capt. Chris Willis, who directs fire prevention programs for the Eastern Knox County Joint Fire District, preschool children should be taught about the dangers of playing with any source of fire. Willis said that Sparky the Fire Dog, a mascot costume of Dalmatian wearing a firefighter’s gear, teaches fire safety in a child-friendly way to small children. The department purchased the costume to use in preschools and day cares to teach fire prevention.
Keeping matches and lighters out of children’s’ reach, preferably under lock and key, is also important. Candles should never be left unattended, or burning within the reach of children. According to the NFPA, as candles have become increasingly popular, fires caused by accidents involving their use have more than doubled since 1990.
COJFD Chief Joe Porter said parental responsibility is a factor in preventing these fires as well.
“Kids are curious,” he said. “Teaching kids what fire does, and that it can kill you, is something parents need to do.”
Porter said sometimes parents take it for granted that children will know playing with matches or lighters is off limits.
“These are lessons that need to be taught,” he said.
Christy said children should be taught from the time they can crawl what it is off limits for them to touch, including anything with an open flame.
Cooper said developing a home fire safety plan involves not only telling children to stay away from all candles, matches and lighters, but having the appropriate number of working smoke detectors in the home in case of fire. Children should also be taught about escape routes, how to call 9-1-1, and a family meeting place outside the house, to make sure everyone has made it to safety.
The MVFD has instituted a Juvenile Fire Setters program, aimed at juveniles who are either at risk to start a fire, or have already been caught setting a fire or playing with fire. Christy said the program has not been in place long enough to develop statistics to gauge its success, but the response has been positive.
Open to youth throughout Knox County, the program connects families with resources such as counseling and education through several community agencies. Children also meet with firefighters, who provide guidance and education.
Parents with a concern about their child can contact a local fire department for help.
