Officials Look at Space Heater in Fatal St. Louis Fire

A 14-month-old boy died in a home where officials found several space heaters.

Nov. 28--ST. LOUIS --A child died Wednesday morning in a house fire in St. Louis believed to be started by space heaters, fire officials said.

The boy, Antuan Carson, was 14 months old, his mother said.

Sharonda Carson, 24, said her son had been living at his father's house on North 25th Street for the past three or four months because she was going through a difficult living situation.

The boy's father, Demetrius Nelson, suffered second-degree burns to his face, hands and arms in the fire, she said.

She said Antuan had just learned to walk last month.

"He was happy, full of life," she said. "He loved music, he loved to eat. He was a happy spirit -- everybody loved him."

St. Louis Fire Capt. Dan Sutter said firefighters were called to the three-story brick home in the 4000 block of North 25th Street about 2:15 a.m. Wednesday. The home is in the city's Hyde Park neighborhood.

Firefighters could see flames coming from the home when they pulled up. Two adults and another child had gotten out safely and were standing outside, shouting to fire crews that a child was trapped inside.

When firefighters searched the first floor of the home, where the family lived, they found Antuan.

The fire apparently started in the room where the boy was sleeping.

The medical examiner will determine how he died.

The home was equipped with multiple space heaters that appeared to have started the fire, Sutter said. Investigators said the fire was an accident.

Temperatures in St. Louis overnight had dipped to 23 degrees about the time of the fire.

Authorities said the home did not have working smoke alarms. Fire officials and the city police department's bomb and arson detectives will investigate, which is routine any time someone dies in a fire.

Donations for funeral expenses for Antuan are being accepted at any U.S. Bank branch.

Copyright 2013 - St. Louis Post-Dispatch

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