Joelle Fredman
WMAL.com
ANNANDALE — (WMAL) After extinguishing two fires caused by children in one week, the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department is trying to make sure the pattern doesn’t continue.
Sunday morning firefighters responded to a fire on the 7700 block of Rowan Court in the Annandale in a one-story home where no one was injured.
Investigators determined that the fire was caused by a six-year-old child setting a mattress ablaze with matches.
Last Tuesday there was a fatal house fire in Lorton on the 8100 block of Arcade Street, which was caused by a child playing with a lighter in his garage.
Spokesman Willie Bailey said that the department is reviewing its cases for the past six months to see if these incidents indicate a pattern.
“We’ve had two [incidents] in the past few weeks and one is one too many,” Bailey said. “We’re going to try and get out ahead of this.”
Bailey said the fire department speaks at schools at least once a year about fire safety, and begins with children as young as three-years-old.
While school assemblies are supposed reinforce safe practices, Bailey said that education really needs to begin at home.
“Parents should keep matches, lighters- anything dealing with fire out of sight of children at a young age,” Bailey said. “It starts at home.”
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