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Child caused fire that badly burned elderly man, firefighters say

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Fire investigators said a small child set a fire inside a Maiden house.

The fire left the child’s 69-year-old grandfather with burns covering 70 percent of his body.

Channel 9 reporter Dave Faherty talked to investigators, who said the fire was contained to a bedroom where the owner was sleeping.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en" width="300"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Breaking Maiden- just learned child set bedding on fire that sent grandfather to hospital with burns to 70-percent of his body</p>&mdash; Dave Faherty (@FahertyWSOC9) <a href="https://twitter.com/FahertyWSOC9/status/615947772282413056">June 30, 2015</a></blockquote>
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One of the children alerted family members to get out.

Firefighters said a child playing with a lighter set the bedding on fire while Edward Owenby, 69, was sleeping in the bed.

Owenby is in the hospital with serious injuries.

The first firefighter on the scene said he didn’t see much smoke when he first arrived at the home on Bost Nursery Road.

"No, but that can fool you.  A lot of times you don't see what's going on in the inside as compared to the outside,” said Maiden firefighter Randy Frye. “It was hectic at first knowing there was someone still inside. Our main thing is life and safety."

Firefighters initially broke out a window trying to get Owenby, who is disabled, safely out.  But the fire was only smoldering allowing them to move the 69-year old right out the front door.  

Neighbors helped to get other family members out of the home.  

"(They’re) in our prayers that everything is going to be OK," said neighbor Rocky Abernathy.

None of the grandchildren were hurt in this fire. Owenby's wife was treated for smoke inhalation at the hospital.

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