Fire officials warn of children finding smoking materials after Daytona fire

Fire officials warn of children finding smoking materials after Daytona fire, A child playing with a lighter is said to have started a fire at a Daytona Beach apartment Friday, according to the Daytona Beach Fire Department. Firefighters were dispatched to the building in the 500 block of Jean Street around 5 p.m. Friday for a reported commercial structure fire. Daytona Beach Fire Department spokesperson Lt. Larry Stoney says firefighters arriving at the scene reported “…heavy black smoke coming from the front door and windows…” of a second story apartment unit. The fire was quickly extinguished and restricted to the room it was believed to have started in. No injuries were reported, but damage was estimated at around ten-thousand dollars.

Lt. Stoney says fire crews found out during their investigation that “…a four year old was in the bedroom playing with a lighter when the mattress began to smoke and eventually caught on fire.”

Daytona Fire officials remind parents, teachers, grandparents and caregivers “…of the dangers of leaving smoking paraphernalia around the home and within the reach of children.” They recommend not smoking near, on or around a mattress. Also keep lighters and matches out of the reach of small children in the home.

Click here to visit the Daytona Beach Fire Department web site.

You can contact Mike Royer at mroyer5@yahoo.com