Two Children, Mother Badly Burned in Fire

Two children were in critical condition and their mother was in serious condition Wednesday after an early-morning fire started by a third child playing with a cigarette lighter swept through their Imperial Beach home.

Sheriff’s investigators said the blaze started in the rear of a room in the two-bedroom home in the 500 block of 11th Street while the rest of the family was sleeping. “It was a straight accidental fire,” Detective Bill Crigler said.

All three victims were taken by Life Flight helicopter to UC San Diego Medical Center.

Kirah Kossow, 2, was being treated for second and third degree burns to 30% of her body, and Jonathan Jones, 5, was suffering from smoke inhalation and second and third degree burns to 30% of his body, hospital spokeswoman Sheri Smith said. Their mother, Valerie Kossow, 25, was reported in serious condition with second and third degree burns to 25% of her body.

Investigators said a 3-year-old brother of the injured children apparently was playing with a lighter in the bedroom where his brother and sister were sleeping when he accidentally set fire to the covers and sheets. The 3-year-old wasn’t injured.

The mother was sleeping in an adjacent room separated by a closet and a wall when the blaze broke out. “The only thing she said was that she was awakened and alerted to the fire and rescued the children,” Crigler said, after interviewing Valerie Kossow.

The children’s grandfather, who was sleeping on the couch in the living room, suffered from smoke inhalation but did not require hospitalization.

The father, Carroll Kossow, is a sailor aboard the aircraft carrier Ranger. He was informed of the fire shortly afterward, sheriff’s Sgt. Conrad Grayson said.

Four firefighters from the Imperial Beach station and firefighters from the San Diego Fire Department found the victims lying in front of the home, fire Capt. Andy Arciga said. Firefighters extinguished the blaze in about 15 minutes, he added.

The child who apparently started the fire was staying with neighbors, Grayson said.

After an initial investigation, fire officials said they could not find smoke detectors in the home. They said the grandfather told them the family was awakened by the smoke.