Teen started Mount Prospect fire, chief says

A 15-year-old playing with a lighter caused a fire that destroyed his parents Mount Prospect home on Wednesday, said Fire Chief Mike Figolah.

"There are two messages here," Figolah said. "First, don't play with matches or lighters and second, make sure you have working smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors in your home."

After the fire, the 15-year-old and his 12-year-old brother were taken to the hospital, but both boys were back home on Monday, Figolah said.

The boys' parents weren't home when the fire broke out at about 8 p.m. on Wednesday in an upstairs bedroom, Figolah said. The home didn't have working smoke detectors, he said.

The fire caused an estimated $150,000 in damage and left the split-level house at 1512 Larch Drive uninhabitable, he said.