Howard Lake fire started by 7-year-old playing with lighter, case report says

By KSTP

A fire that damaged two homes and caught a nearby church on fire last week in Howard Lake was started by a 7-year-old who was playing with a lighter, an investigative report says.

Firefighters were called to a fire at a home off of Seventh Avenue near 10th Street on May 28.

The Minnesota Fire Marshal’s case report says firefighters found flames coming through the roof of the detached garage. While crews battled the flames, embers also spread the fire to the steeple of nearby St. James Lutheran Church.

While firefighters contained the flames to the steeple of the church, the report says the garage where the fire started was a total loss and the home and a neighboring home also were damaged by the flames.

According to the investigative report, the owners of the property where the fire started told investigators they were watching television in the house when the 7-year-old came inside and said “something is wrong.” They then saw flames coming from the garage and a storage shed, and called 911.

Investigators believe the 7-year-old was playing with a lighter and lit a stick on fire, which caught the storage shed on fire and then spread to the garage. The report adds that the boy didn’t have any history of starting fires.

Fortunately, nobody was injured.

In the aftermath, the church congregation came together to help the victims of the fire.