Fire Service Issues Warning Following Multiple Deaths In Several Weeks

Benisford Matura

On Wednesday afternoon, a fire gutted the bedroom of an elevated wooden structure on Hunters Lane.  According to Carla Jimenez, she left her son and his father at home around one o’clock only to be alerted sometime after that the bedroom was ablaze.  It was later discovered that the child got a hold of matches and lit the mattress on fire.  Police were able to contain the inferno, not before costing the family almost three thousand dollars in damages.  The cause of the fire earlier today is still being investigated.  What can be said definitively is that it is the third fire since October fifth involving a minor.  Today, we asked Operations Officer Benisford Matura, of the National Fire Service, to address what seems to be a growing trend.

Benisford Matura, Operations Officer, National Fire Service

“We’ve noticed, you can see that there’s a spike in these sorts of fires.  The electrical fires have died down and we have now these accidental fires involving kids.  And actually, indeed we’ve lost two kids within a month’s time.  What I’d like to say to the general public is, to the guardians and parents, be more cautious of what your child is doing, especially the young toddlers because they have curious minds and they want to see what a match will do, what a lighter will do.  We, as parents, need to teach them that matches and lighters are tools, not toys.  The smokers in the house, the smokers in the house, I ask and I advise you, don’t encourage children or a young child to go and get the lighter or the matches for you to smoke your cigarette because they have curious minds and one of these days when you are not around they would like to investigate or see what will happen.  This is what leads to many house fires where children are involved and some of them actually lose their lives.  Secondly, have a smoke detector; at least one smoke detector, at least one in your home to detect that smoke right away and give that alarm so you can have an evacuation.  Also have an evacuation plan, a meeting area, maybe the next door neighbor or somewhere where if something should go wrong everyone from the dwelling can meet at a certain area so everyone can give account of each other.”