Child attempting to light firework inside home caused Ocala apartment fire: Police

OCALA, Fla. - A fire that started in an Ocala apartment happened because of a child playing with a firework, police said. 

On Saturday around 11:09 a.m., fire crews responded to reports of a structure fire at Berkeley Pointe Apartments at 2847 NE Seventh St. 

The fire reportedly started in a first-floor unit and flames were visible from the unit's back-room window. 

A dog also had to be rescued from one of the units. 

After crews extinguished the fire, they learned that one of the children in the home had access to a firework from a package purchased for the fourth of July and attempted to light it indoors. 

Fire crews urge residents to supervise children and educate them on fire prevention.