Child ignites fatal fire
Official: 4-year-old playing with cigarette lighter sparks blaze.
Steve Wedel, Staff Writer
Enid News & Eagle Online
January 25, 2003
The car fire that killed a 1-year-old girl and severely burned her 2-year-old brother Thursday was started by the children's 4-year-old brother, said Ron Horton, an agent for the state fire marshal.
"We have determined it was an accidental fire caused by the 4-year-old playing with the car cigarette lighter," Horton said Friday.
As of late Friday night, Jacob Nance remained in critical condition in the intensive care unit of the University of Oklahoma Medical Center Children's Hospital in Oklahoma City.
Hospital spokesman Curtis Summers said the family asked no further information be released.
Kyle Nance admitted to taking the cigarette lighter from his mother's 1987 Oldsmobile and setting a piece of paper on fire in the car, Horton said. Nance then dropped the paper, went inside the house on Osborne Road southeast of Douglas and informed his mother, Melissa Cappabianca, there was a problem.
Horton said when Cappabianca and her boyfriend, John Clickner, got outside, the right rear door of the car was open and the car was engulfed in flames. The adults were able to pull Jacob Nance, 2, from the car.
"The car seat and baby were on fire," Horton said.
Cappabianca and Clickner attempted but were unable to remove 1-year-old Dusti Cappabianca, who was pronounced dead on the scene. Kyle Nance was uninjured and taken into custody by Department of Human Services, said Garfield County Sheriff Bill Winchester.
Don Henderson, spokesman for DHS in Garfield County, said it is not uncommon for his office to take children into custody in these circumstances.
"In the event of a child death we would do an investigation, and other children may be taken into our custody during that time," Henderson said.
DHS officials would not comment on whether Kyle remained in custody.
Cappabianca suffered burns on her hands.
Horton explained interiors of newer cars are made mostly of petroleum-based components that burn easily.
"Cars burn very, very quickly once they get going," Horton said. He exhorted parents to be more cautious with their children and expressed a desire for changes by car manufacturers.
"Do not leave children unattended in the car," he said. "Car cigarette lighters should all be made childproof."
Horton said he didn't blame the boy for playing with the lighter.
"It's just something a child does," Horton said. "They have a natural curiosity."
Winchester said that once the investigation is concluded, probably next week, his office will decide if charges of negligence will be brought against Melissa Cappabianca.
The mother said she was not in Clickner's house more than five minutes, Horton said. She told authorities she took the keys from the ignition when she left the car.
First Bank and Trust in Covington has established a fund to help the family. Donations can be sent to the bank at P.O. Box 89, Covington, OK 73730.
ŠEnid News & Eagle 2003
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