Young child starts house fire with cigarette lighter

9:20am Saturday 19th July 2008

THE dangers of leaving cigarette lighters in reach of children was demonstrated last night when firefighters were called to a house fire in Holford Road, Taunton.

The alarm was raised at just after 7pm and two fire engines from Taunton dashed to the scene and on arrival they found the first floor of the property to be well-alight.

A third fire engine was mobilised from Taunton along with a command support unit form Ilminster.

Firefighters soon had the blaze under control, but the house suffered 80 per cent fire damage to a bedroom and about 80 per cent smoke damage to the remainder of the first floor.

A spokesman for Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said: "The cause of the fire was a five-year-old child playing with a lighter."