HYANNIS, Mass. (MyFoxBoston.com) -- The shed that caught fire at 252 Hinckley Road Monday evening reportedly contained gasoline for a lawnmower, and at least one child playing in the shed was playing with a lighter inside, authorities said Tuesday. That fire killed an 8-year-old boy.
The boy who died has been identified as Savvas Yianasmidis, according to Cape and Islands District Attorney Michael O'Keefe.
Monday evening, Savvas and two of his friends, also 8 years old, were playing inside the shed on his laptop. The fire broke out just before 5:30 p.m. and one of the boys went to tell the victim's mother. When she came out into the back yard, the 8-foot by 12-foot structure shed was fully engulfed in flames.
Firefighters rushed to the scene and extinguished the blaze by around 7 p.m. That is when fire officials found the remains of a young child, O'Keefe stated.
Investigators are still looking into the cause and origin of the fire, but O'Keefe said gasoline for a lawnmower was stored in the shed, and that at least one of the children was playing with a lighter.
State Fire Marshal Stephen Coan described the fire as a "horrific event." The state medical examiner was also on the scene Monday night.