By Oskar Garcia
The Associated Press
BELLEVUE, Neb. — A 7-year-old boy playing with a lighter Wednesday started an apartment fire that killed two children and their baby sitter, officials said.
Four other children escaped unharmed.
“We are very confident that the fire was started by a child playing with a lighter inside of the home,” fire Lt. David Stukenholtz said.
Police did not immediately release identities of victims. Neighbor Cecilia Carmona, 23, said three of the children who escaped were those of a woman who rented the apartment in this Omaha suburb. The fourth young survivor was Carmona’s own 4-month-old daughter.
The dead children were both girls, one age 2 and the other 11 months. Carmona said they were the baby sitter’s nieces.
In addition to the 7-year-old boy, the surviving children included girls ages 4 and 3. All three were placed in county custody.
Police Capt. Herb Evers said the woman whose name was on the apartment’s lease was in jail at the time of the fire on shoplifting charges.
The apartment was destroyed.