Siblings Playing With Lighter Set Home on Fire: Officials

Children playing with a lighter set a multiple-family Miami quadplex on fire Saturday morning, fire rescue officials said.

City of Miami firefighters fought the blaze near 9th Avenue and SW 7th Street just after 10 a.m. Lt. Ignatius Carroll Jr. said the flames and smoke could be seen from blocks away.

Miami-Dade Neighborhood Evacuated After Explosion in Home

Authorities believe a 7-year-old boy and his 6-year-old sister started the fire with a lighter under one of the unit's beds. The two adults who were home noticed the smoke after the kids ran from the room.

"The only thing that they were able to do was run out of their home with the clothes that they had on their back, which as you can see were basically underclothes," Carroll Jr. said.

Although all four of the units were affected, only one is a total loss. Several important documents and photo albums were salvaged.

Second Fire at Miramar Apartment Building Investigated

The American Red Cross was on scene assisting the family, but there were no reported injuries. City of Miami Fire Rescue is also notifying the Juvenile Fire Starter Program to provide guidance for the children.

“Kids are very curious, and if you have a lighter or matches, you need to make sure you place them out of the reach of children and if you have kids that have been curious and come in contact, you need to teach them the dangers of not playing with lighters or matches,” he told NBC 6 South Florida.

More Local News

Leave Comments