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By MICHAEL STRAND

Salina Journal

A young boy playing with plastic bugs ended up causing a fire in his family's home late Wednesday morning, according to Salina fire investigators.

Salina firefighters responded about 11:30 a.m. to the report of a fire at 1306 Gypsum.

When they arrived, they found the house fully engulfed, with flames blowing out of the windows.

According to fire inspector Jeff Daily, the fire started in a utility room at the southwest corner of the one-story house.

Daily said there was an electric heater in the room, and the 4-year-old boy was playing with toy bugs.

"He stuck a spider leg through to the element," Daily said, and a small fire started. "He got scared, and hid, thinking it would go away -- then he finally came out and told his dad there was a fire."

The father, Mark Bergman, picked up his son and got out of the house. Neither was injured.

Fire had head start

Because of the delay in the reporting of the fire, Daily said, "it got a little bit ahead of us. There was a lot of fire load (items that burn) in that room."

The fire melted the power line leading to the house, Daily said. Arcing from the line started a small grass fire, and part of the backyard was burned.

Daily said he expects the house will be declared a total loss.

n Reporter Mike Strand can be reached at 822-1418 or by e-mail at mstrand@salina.com.

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