`Beavis And Butt-Head' Blamed For Influencing Boy In Fatal Fire

MORAINE, Ohio - The mother of a 5-year-old who started a fire that killed his younger sister blames the MTV cartoon "Beavis and Butt-head" for promoting burning as fun, a fire official said yesterday.

Fire Chief Harold Sigler said he wants the cable network to eliminate shows that might encourage playing with fire and would like to see violence on the show reduced.

"When you take a child in the formative years and you get these cartoon characters saying it's fun to play with fire . . . this is going to stick in that kid's mind and it's going to be with him for a long time," Sigler said.

The show features two teen-agers who comment on rock videos and burn and destroy things.

Austin Messner watched one show that had the cartoon characters saying fire is fun, Sigler said.

"From that point on, he's been playing with fire," Sigler said. "According to the mother, right after that she caught him playing with matches."

The mother was concerned enough that she took the boy's bedroom door off the hinges so she could watch him more closely, he said. MTV spokeswoman, Carole Robinson, said the station will "re-examine issues regarding `Beavis and Butt-head' " in the aftermath of the death. We're not aware of all the facts but obviously this event was a terrible tragedy."

Firefighters were called to the family's mobile-home park Wednesday after the boy set his bed on fire.

Austin and his mother and her boyfriend escaped. His 2-year-old sister died in the fire.

In western Ohio, Sidney Fire Chief Stan Crosley blamed the cartoon for an Aug. 23 fire that three girls started.

He said one "Beavis and Butt-head" episode featured a character setting fire to the other's hair by using a match to ignite spray from an aerosol can. Crosley said the children used the technique to set clothing on fire in a bedroom, causing some damage to the house.

"The children admitted they saw it on TV and thought they could do it too," Crosley said.