GENEVA — The charred remains of a rug, its singed edges dangerously close to a couch, were still smoking and warm to the touch as Geneva Police Officer Doug Zetlaw walked through the upstairs apartment at 357 E. Main St., Saturday.
In the bathroom, a pile of blackened blankets caught Zetlaw’s eye. One of the blankets was a baby blanket.
After mom Ashley Hennessey and her three children were found, Hennessey treated for burns and the children evaluated for any possible injury or smoke inhalation, Hennessey’s 3-year-old son told firefighters how he lit a pile of blankets and coats on fire with a lighter he found on top of the microwave.
Hennessey told firefighters she had caught her son playing with matches and lighters before.
Geneva Fire Chief Doug Starkey said Hennessey’s son has been referred to the city’s juvenile firestarter program, an intervention and diversion program for children who start fires, or could potentially start fires.
“A child with a lighter is a dangerous situation,” Starkey said. “But it is rare for us to respond to a fire started by a child.”
Starkey said the city’s number of juvenile-related ignitions has dropped dramatically with the institution of the firestarter program, as firefighter Dale Arkenburg works with each child individually to educate them about the dangers of fire.
“Truly, we take each juvenile incident on a case by case basis,” Starkey said. “Prevention and education is our ultimate goal. Parents may not know what to do or what to say if they find their child playing with lighters. The city, and many other communities in Ashtabula County, have juvenile firestarter programs. Help is out there for these kids and their parents.”
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