Child playing with matches ignites apartment fire

By Dave Clark

Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2008 | 12:11 p.m.

A fire which engulfed a two-story apartment building near Warm Springs Road and Center Street on Sunday was ignited by a 4-year-old child playing with matches, Henderson fire officials said.

Henderson Deputy Fire Chief Steve Goble said the fire at Hampton Court Apartments was extinguished in roughly 10 minutes following the department’s response at about 1:20 p.m. No injures were reported, and 10 individuals — three adults and seven children — were displaced.

Goble urged parents to strictly monitor their children.

“Supervise them constantly,” he said. “They’re naturally curious. The best remedy is to keep the matches and lighters out of their reach.”

The fire department arrived to find heavy black smoke billowing from a window on the building’s second floor. Two apartments were involved.

“Firefighters were able to make a rapid attack that helped minimize the damage and were able to save the fire from spreading to adjacent units,” Goble said.

Damage was estimated at $70,000. The American Red Cross and Southern Nevada Burn Foundation helped place the families.