Investigators say a fire that claimed the life of a 9-year-old boy in Hermon, Maine, was caused by a child cooking in the kitchen while the parents were away.
Steve McCausland from the Maine Department of Public Safety said Tuesday that a pizza box was ignited by one of the stove's burners. He said the July 7 fire was ruled accidental.
Killed in the blaze was Wyatt Parker of Levant, who was spending the night with two cousins.
Officials say 10-year-old Ashlyn Parker suffered from smoke inhalation and another cousin escaped unharmed to summon help from a passing motorist.
The fire broke out while the parents were running errands. Investigators could not find a working smoke detector but the 10-year-old survivor says she heard one.
Copyright AP - Associated Press