No one was injured when children playing with a flammable liquid and a lighter ignited a fire in a Campbell River townhouse.
“The four children were able to get out after an attempt to extinguish the fire failed,” confirms Fire Chief Dean Spry, recalling the events when the fire department was called to a fire in a townhouse unit in the 300-block o Robron Road on the evening of April 4.
“We got the call at 8:58 p.m., and the first crew to arrive entered the unit,” says the Fire Chief. “Getting to the fire was made more difficult due to the heavy dark smoke and heat created by the burning materials in the upstairs bedroom.”
Two fire vehicles and 15 firefighters responded to the scene, and ultimately, the crew was able to control and extinguish the fire quickly, Spry reports.
“An investigation to determine the cause of the fire determined that four children were playing with a flammable liquid and a lighter,” the Fire Chief adds. “The flammable liquid ignited bedding, and the fire spread to the mattress and bed. The bedroom sustained considerable fire, heat and smoke damage, and the rest of the unit sustained smoke damage.”
Parents are reminded to keep lighters and matches away from children and to teach them what to do in the event of a fire – including developing a family fire escape plan and calling 911 in the event of a fire.