Shed Destroyed in Fire Started by 4-Year-Old

A 4-year-old boy playing with a lighter sparked a fire in a Thousand Oaks backyard Wednesday that burned down a large shed and damaged the side of a house, causing an estimated $8,500 in damage, authorities said.

Ventura County firefighters and sheriff’s deputies quickly responded to the sight of a dark black plume of smoke about 10:45 a.m. at 1332 E. Hillcrest Drive and put out the blaze before 11 a.m.

However, a 12-by-12-foot shed burned completely and the back side of the house was blistered by the heat. The damage to the structures was estimated at $8,000, with another $500 loss in the contents of the shed. Fire investigators later learned from talking to witnesses that the fire was started by the child. The youngster was home with a relative while his parents were at work, and had been playing with a lighter in the backyard, according to Fire Department spokesman Joe Luna.

The boy’s father, who declined to give his name, said the relative did not notice the fire in the backyard until a deputy came to their door and warned them. Fire officials declined to release the family’s name or the name of the relative.

“They were upset and embarrassed by the whole incident,” Luna said.

Neither the child nor the relative suffered any injuries, but a firefighter punctured his hand on a nail. He was taken to Columbia Los Robles Hospital for a tetanus shot and released. His name was not released.