3 Suffer Burns as Device Ignites, Damages Home

A father and two children were burned and their home was damaged by fire Sunday from an incendiary device one of the children found in the desert near a Marine Corps base, authorities said.

Deon MacIntyre accidentally triggered the device in his living room, causing a flash fire, San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputies said.

MacIntyre suffered third-degree burns on his arms and hands. His son, Billy, 6, who found the device, had third-degree burns on his legs and feet. His daughter, Kimberly, 12, suffered second-degree leg burns. All were in fair condition at San Bernardino County Medical Center.

The children’s mother was out shopping when the device went off, authorities said.

The device was found near Giant Rock Airport, about five miles west of Twentynine Palms Marine Corps Training Center.

The device melted in the fire, making identification difficult, investigators said. They speculated that it might have been a military parachute flare, but could have been a homemade fire bomb.