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Boy admits to fire that chars home
By JOSH ZIMMER © St. Petersburg Times, published October 16, 2000 CRYSTAL RIVER -- A 5-year-old boy playing with a lighter Sunday afternoon sparked a fire that heavily damaged his family's mobile home, according to the Citrus County Sheriff's Office. Sam Downing said his grandson, Kyle Morrison, repeatedly has been told to avoid playing with fire. "We've been on him so much about (it)," Downing said after stepping out of the ambulance where his daughter Donna McClelland was being given oxygen. "I just hugged him, to know he's okay," Downing said of Kyle. Citrus County Deputy Robbie Crosnoe said the youngster admitted to igniting a pile of paper towels by a shed behind the bedroom he shares with his brother, Tristan Morrison. The fire quickly spread to the house on Lightbody Court, a quarter-mile east of U.S. 19. The fire was reported at 2:20 p.m. Crosnoe, followed by several fire trucks, arrived within five minutes. "Before she could get to the hose, it (the fire) got to the shed," he said. Kyle was at home with his mother when the fire started. Two of McClelland's other children were in Inglis with Downing and the third was at work. Downing rushed down with Tristan Morrison and his stepgrandson, Jake McClelland, and granddaughter Jennifer Morrison arrived dressed in her Winn-Dixie uniform. Downing had received a hysterical call about the fire from Donna McClelland as he and the children were finishing lunch. They were planning to go fishing later. "I couldn't even understand who it was," he said. "I heard somebody, "Donna, get out of the house!' I left the dinner table, and I mean, I flew down here. "I had a son lose one (a house) by lightning up in Cross City," he said. "He lost about everything he had." Donna McClelland was doing well after receiving oxygen, said Nature Coast EMS emergency medical technician Kim Sewell. McClelland left the ambulance to check on the family cat, Callie, who was rescued from under the master bed by Crosnoe and another officer. "That thing sure was giving me a fit," Crosnoe said. Eleanor Downing, Donna McClelland's mother, said she was eager to retrieve as many of her grandchildren's drenched and smoke-filled clothes as possible. The sooner they are washed, the more that can be saved, Eleanor Downing said. The fire destroyed a computer and a VCR, Jennifer Morrison said. The fire marshal's office was heading Sunday afternoon to the site to investigate. Downing said the grandchildren would spend at least one night at her house. As firefighters doused the smoking remains, Kyle Morrison fingered a couple of stickers with gold badges that say "Junior Sheriff." Not understanding the seriousness of the accident, he seemed pleased with the gift. The stickers, Crosnoe said, were the youngster's gift "for telling the truth."
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