Gorillas Shouldn't Play with Matches

This article tells the story of a house fire in Hampton, New Hampshire. The photo that runs with it is amazing.

Why is that man dressed as a gorilla? The caption explains it:

Wayne McGowen, who was sleeping in the basement of the house when it caught fire, watches firefighters at the scene along with neighbor Kali Burns, who was dressed as a gorilla.

Wait, that doesn't explain anything! Luckily, I kept reading to the article's end:

Kali Burns, who lives next door, ran up and down the street dressed in a gorilla suit and caught the attention of some firefighters. Burns said his friends dared him to put the costume on, so he did. He said he only wanted to “cheer everybody up.”

Let's see, if a fire gutted my home, would a person dressed in a gorilla suit cheer me up?

Only if he slipped on a banana peel!