Seal Beach : Fire Started by Smoking Causes $60,000 Damage
A $60,000 fire was started when a man fell asleep while smoking in bed, county fire officials said Monday.
Robert Gruber awoke Sunday afternoon in his home in the 400 block of Beryl Cove Way to find his mattress on fire, said county fire spokeswoman Patti Range. He managed to escape, but the fire spread to the kitchen and garage because Gruber did not shut his bedroom door as he left, she said.
For the record:
12:00 a.m. May 9, 1987 For the Record
Los Angeles Times Saturday May 9, 1987 Orange County Edition Metro Part 2 Page 2 Column 5 Metro Desk 2 inches; 61 words Type of Material: Correction
Based on inaccurate information supplied by the Orange County Fire Department, The Times erroneously reported details of an April 26 Seal Beach fire. The fire was not started by Robert Gruber but by Scott Halsey, Gruber’s stepson, who was smoking in bed, said Orange County Fire Department spokeswoman Patti Range. The Times also incorrectly reported the time the fire began. According to the Fire Department, it started about 3:50 a.m.
The house did not have a smoke detector, she added.
Gruber was not injured, but another man, identified only as Scott Halsey, was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation, Range said.
It took 19 firefighters about 10 minutes to control the 3:50 p.m. blaze, Range said. The fire caused $30,000 damage to the structure and $30,000 to contents, she said.
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