On Tuesday February 28, 2023, just after 8:30 pm, a fire was reported in the 100 block of North 17th Avenue. Arriving Yuma Fire Department personnel found light smoke coming from the front door of a single family home. Firefighters quickly extinguished a small fire in the kitchen, and kept it from spreading throughout the home. The fire damage was limited to a storage rack and the wall behind/above it. A woman and two children were home the time the fire occurred, and were able to evacuate safely. There were no injuries.
Fire investigators were unable to rule out child fire play as a cause of this fire. Matches, lighters, or other fire starting instruments must be kept out of reach and secured from children. Children also must be taught that these items are “tools” and not “toys.” The potential for property loss, injuries, and deaths, are great. Burn injuries are some of the most painful and difficult injuries to treat, and the one playing with fire is often one of its first victims.
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