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Crews: Child With Matches Started House Fire

By Rachel Slavik, WCCO-TV

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Fire crews think that a child playing with matches was the cause of a fire that sent one person to the hospital overnight.

The fire broke out at about 10 p.m. Sunday near 27th and Knox avenues in north Minneapolis.  Neighbors said at first, they only saw smoke, but once firefighters broke the windows the flames spread quickly.

"In five minutes there was 30-foot flames out of the back of the house," said Tim Lentz, a neighbor.

An adult inside the home said the child accidentally lit the bedding on fire.

"It is obvious the dangers of fire as a parent, but sometimes it drives the message home," said Cherie Penn, the assistant fire chief in Minneapolis.

Penn recommends parents talk to their children about the dangers of playing with fire, but wants parents to take the conversation one step further.

"We want them to know if you have done something wrong we know you're scared, but we need you to tell someone. Don't hide," said Penn.

Firefighters helped pull two adults and the child from the home. One of the adults was taken to the hospital for breathing in too much smoke, but she is expected to be alright.

The Red Cross is assisting the family.

WCCO-TV's Rachel Slavik Reports

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