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3-Year-Old Started Fire At Clearwater Home, Officials Say

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TBO.com

Published: January 25, 2009

A 3-year-old boy playing with a lighter on his bed this afternoon started a fire that damaged a Clearwater duplex, the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office said.

Damien Shane Michael, his mother Amy Michael, neighbor Steven Ray Heffner and Heffner's three dogs all escaped safely from the fire, deputies say.

The fire broke out about 2 p.m. in a duplex at 1613 Miller Ave., Clearwater. The child's mother was sleeping when she was awakened by the smell of smoke, deputies say.

Amy Michael, 19, went to look for her son and saw that a fire had started in his room. She left the duplex and Heffner tried to extinguish the flames but it was too hot, deputies say.

Damage estimates were not immediately available.

Heffner's three dogs, a Labrador named Nevaeh, a Basset hound named Sheila and a Dachshund named Tobey were also rescued from the duplex, deputies say.

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