Youth Smokers Allegedly Caused Fire on Metcalf Street

A small fire at a Metcalf Street home Monday was started by a 13-year-old and 9-year-old who were smoking on the back porch and decided to light a styrofoam cup on fire, according to a fire report.

Medford Fire Department responded to the address shortly after 12 p.m. Monday, where they found a fire on a discarded mattress outside and on the back porch, the report said. It was put out quickly and no one was hurt.

A witness spotted the two youths smoking on the back porch, and the pair admitted to starting the fire when question by investigators, the report said.

The fire started when they lit a styrofoam cup on fire and began to panic at how quickly it burned, the report said. They threw the cup and it landed on the mattress, which caught on fire.

One of the children's mothers called 911 after she heard the boys yelling and saw the fire, the fire department report said.

It caused an estimated $10,000 in damage, the report said.