My 8-year-old played with fire

My 8-year-old son wanted to burn pieces of paper. He took a lighter, went in the backyard, burned a first piece of paper. After it burned successfully, he went into the shed, saw another piece of paper on a shelf, he lighted it.

Next thing I know, he comes to me saying, "Dad, come look"

I follow him. Through the bathroom window, I see some smoke outside toward the 10x5 shed.

Quickly, I put on my shoes and coat. My son had put some water in a bucket. When I arrive in front of the shed, I see the smoke is really coming from inside. I open the door. There's a little fire on the ground. I throw the water from the bucket at it. Without waiting to see the results, I go to get my hose. I turn it on. In winter, I close the water from inside the house. I run fast inside the basement to turn the water on.

When I get back outside, it's too late. The fire has expanded to a dangerous level. My ordinary hose looks like a toy to fight that.

Next logical thing: call 911. For those outside who live in countries where 911 it doesn't mean a thing, 911 is an emergency number easy to remember for any service like police, firemen or ambulance.

Between 5 and 10 minutes later, the police and firemen arrive.

By the time they extinguish the fire, the shed is burned to the ground. One of my tenants windows is gone. Fortunately, there is no one injured. There is only a little damage inside my tenant's apartment.

In the shed, there was lost summer tires, manual lawn mover, my wife's bicycle, a few other things. All lost, of course.

My neighbor had his car parked close to the shed. It was damaged a little by the fire. The windows of his building on the side toward my house have all cracked.

The police asked me and my son to go to the station. My son was very nervous. The policeman was very nice. He made my son admit everything. My son cried for a few minutes. It was clear he had had no intention of burning the shed or create the damage there was.

I hope it's a lesson he will remember all his life. For sure, nothing that can ignite a fire will be available from now on in the house. It will be locked somewhere.