Novelty lighters spark fire warning

ALBANY, NY (AP) -
Firefighters and consumers groups are urging New York lawmakers to ban novelty lighters that look like toys.

Fifteen states, including Massachusetts and Maine, have such laws in place.

The U.S. Fire Administration supports bans on novelty lighters to cut down on fires set by children. Kids are attracted to novelty lighters because they look like toys such as animals, cars, guitars and cartoon characters. They're often left out on display rather than stored out of sight like regular lighters.

In Arkansas in 2007, two toddlers died in a fire they set with a lighter shaped like a motorcycle, where the flame came out of the exhaust pipe.

The New York Public Interest Research Group and several firefighter organizations are holding a news conference in Albany Monday to urge a ban.