China parent brings son, 12, to work, where he plays with fire, destroying entire office

A 12-year-old boy in China who was taken to work by one of his parents literally played with fire and left an office completely destroyed.

The parent, whose gender is unknown, took the boy to an office in Ningbo in the eastern province of Zhejiang on April 30 in an effort to enhance their emotional bond, the Red Star News reported.

It is not clear what kind of company this parent works for.

While busy with work, the parent left the boy alone in the office. The youngster became bored and came up with an unconventional way to kill time: burning tissues using a lighter.

Flying sparks ignited clutter near the desk which developed into a massive blaze engulfing the office.

The boy called his parent for help and the parent called firefighters.

Meanwhile, the parent and some other employees tried to put out the flames using a dry-powder extinguisher.

Before the firefighters arrived, they had put out much of the fire, but the premises was gutted. No one was injured but losses from the blaze are thought to amount tens of thousands of yuan.

Whether the parent will face any punishment was not disclosed in the report.

A firefighter gave a short speech at the scene, urging people to be alert about fire prevention.

“Children are curious about everything, but they have a low safety awareness. Parents should look after them carefully and strengthen education. Otherwise, a single spark can lead to a great disaster,” the firefighter told the employees.

Fires set by naughty children are not uncommon in China.

Last year, a young boy, also in Zhejiang, ignited miscellaneous items with a lighter in a staircase corridor. The fire was extinguished in time by property managers.

In 2023, a nine-year-old boy in Zhejiang burned a foam box at home while his mother was chatting with a friend on mobile. The mother used two fire extinguishers to put out the flames.

Mainland social media has been abuzz with the latest fire incident.

“He is not three or four years old. This boy is apparently spoiled by his family,” one person said.

Another quipped: “I think no boss will allow workers to bring their children to the office in the future.” -- SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST