SPRINGDALE — A candle caused a fire Wednesday at 1305 Daline St. that damaged a home and sent two teen girls to the hospital, according to the city fire marshal.
The candle was left burning in a bedroom, said Springdale Fire Marshal Ed Stith.
The Springdale Fire Department, through its Nixle alert service messaging system, sent out a warning Thursday about candle safety. The message stated an average 42 home candle fires are reported every day in the U.S. One-third of those fires begin in the bedroom, as did the Daline Street fire.
Two girls, one 16 and the other 15, were at the home when fire broke out about at 1:30 p.m. The girls tried to put out the fire with an extinguisher, Stith said.
The girls, who walked to the ambulance, were taken to Northwest Medical Center-Springdale and treated for smoke inhalation. Stith said the fire caused about $70,000 damage to the house, owned by Darlene Thompson.
Thompson’s daughter was one of the girls in the home, neighbors said.
The candle safety message recommended putting candles in sturdy metal, glass or ceramic holders, avoiding the use of candles in bedrooms and sleeping areas and never leaving burning candles unattended.