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A 12-year-old got a magnifying glass for Christmas — and set his lawn on fire
Dec 30, 2019, 2:51 PM
A family in Texas found themselves doing damage control on Christmas Day after their 12-year-old son accidentally set their lawn on fire with a magnifying glass. Photo: Nissa-Lynn Parson
(CNN) — A family in Texas found themselves doing damage control on Christmas Day after their 12-year-old son accidentally set their lawn on fire with a magnifying glass.
Nissa-Lynn Parson posted photos on Facebook of what she says is going down in the family history book as one of the most memorable Christmas Days to date.
“My 12-year-old son Cayden received a magnifying glass, which we thought was for reading, but instead he tried to see if he could light a fire with it,” the post said.
Cayden and his two brothers went out in the driveway after opening presents to “burn a couple of holes in some newspaper” with the magnifying glass he had just received when an unexpected fire broke out, Nissa told CNN. The wind caught the newspaper, blew ambers into the lawn ultimately causing the grass to catch fire.
“Everything was under control until the boys came running into the house telling us that a corner of the lawn was on fire and the Christmas lights were melting,” Nissa wrote in her post. She said she knew the kids were out playing in the front lawn and this was an honest accident that could have happened to anyone.
She’s glad the family was able to contain it before it got worse.
In the photos posted on Facebook, the Parson clan, in matching pajamas, can be seen with garden hoses in hand, dousing the front yard with water to extinguish the flames, leaving parts of the grass burnt to a crisp.
“We grabbed buckets, Justin turned the sprinklers on, and I grabbed blankets to smother and trap it – before it could spread any more into the neighbors yard,” Nissa wrote in her post. “What a sight to see – a bunch of people running around crazy trying to put a front lawn fire out while wearing matching Christmas jammies!”
Nissa and her husband Justin said they weren’t surprised that Cayden asked for a magnifying glass for Christmas because he’s an avid reader, very curious and interested in science.
“It’s like a basketball player asking for basketball shoes,” she said.
The other items on Cayden’s Christmas wish list were books, a piano keyboard and a robot building model kit, Nissa said.
The next door neighbor whose grass was a little burnt was just glad it wasn’t worse and was good-natured and pleasant about the incident, according to Justin.
“The other neighbors felt bad they didn’t see it to help put it out,” he said.
Cayden was shocked and surprised to see what his magnifying glass was capable of doing, according to Nissa.
“Instead of a tragedy, it will now be a Christmas to remember,” Nissa said.
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