CALIFORNIA IN BRIEF : STOCKTON : 4 Perish in Blaze Started by Candle

An early morning fire started by a candle used as a night light killed a woman and three small children in a home a block from a firehouse closed by budget cuts. The blaze began in the living room, where four children were sleeping. Six people in the small wood frame house, including one child, escaped by jumping out windows in the back of the house. Witnesses told firefighters the residents were using candles to illuminate the house because the electricity had been shut off. A candle left burning as a night light for the children in the living room apparently started the blaze, firefighters said. Killed in the fire were 10-month-old Leslie Lee Jr., his 2-year-old sister, Celest, 18-month-old Shaunisha Perkins, and Anita Scott, 20.