Police say child under 10 started Stratton Meadows Open Space fire

A child playing with a lighter started a nearly 6-acre grass fire Tuesday at a southwest side open space, according to the Colorado Springs Fire Department.

The fire burned grass in the Stratton Open Space, which is near the Broadmoor Hotel. No buildings were threatened.

Smoke was visible from much of the city at the height of the fire.

The fire department said the child was under the age of 10 and will not face charges.

CSFD encourages parents to talk to their children about the importance of fire safety. It offers a program called FireFactor to teach children under 18 the dangers of fire.

“Sometimes the misuse of fire is acting out, a cry for help, sometimes it’s genuinely curiosity, sometimes it’s delinquent behavior,” said Kathy Hook, a fire educator with CSFD. “We clearly do not live in a rain forest. We live in a very dry climate, as we saw today in particular. That wind can take a small spark and cause a tragedy.”

The CSFD had 90 referrals to the FireFactor program in 2014.

If you have any concerns about your child, you can contact the CSFD FireFactor program at firefactor@springsgov.com .