Child playing with lighter starts house fire

ST. PETERSBURG -– A 5-year-old girl playing with a lighter caused a fire that displaced her parents and grandmother from their home Sunday night.

St. Petersburg firefighters put out the fire, which started in a bedroom at the house at 721 44th Ave. N shortly before 8:30 p.m. No injuries were reported. Authorities said the father is 57, the mother is 40 and the grandmother is 79.

Fire officials estimated the damage at $2,000 and said the child would be referred to the Pinellas County Juvenile Fire Stopper Program, which teaches families about fire prevention and safety. The home did not have a working smoke detector, officials said.

The family is receiving housing and clothing assistance from the American Red Cross of Tampa Bay.

Rita Farlow and Luis Perez, Times Staff Writers

*