Mother of Child Killed in Blaze Detained in Jail

A 20-year-old Corona woman was in custody at Riverside County Jail Monday while police and fire officials continued their investigation into a weekend fire that took the life of her 2-year-old daughter.

Susan Campana, 20, was held on suspicion of child endangerment, a felony charge, Corona Police Lt. Art Delacruz said.

Her daughter, Olivia Contreras, died Saturday when the family’s home--a converted school bus--burst into flames in a northwestern section of Corona, Fire Chief Robert McNabb said. Olivia’s brother, Ramon Campana, 3, was rescued from the flames by a neighbor.

The fire apparently started in the rear of the bus, ignited and fueled by a two-burner propane stove that Susan Campana told authorities she left on to heat the bus. Campana said she had gone to a neighbor’s house a few minutes before the fire broke out.

Her son, Ramon, suffered only smoke inhalation, McNabb said. “He was in the front part of the bus; she (Olivia) was in the back part of the bus.” Intense heat and smoke prevented the unidentified rescuer from returning to save the girl.

McNabb described the vehicle as “an old school bus, . . . ‘50s vintage, converted to a motor home that had been used as a home, unbeknownst to us.” It was parked in the 300 block of North Garfield Avenue, west of Lincoln Avenue, near a railroad line.