2 Apartment Fires in Orange Injure 1, Cause Heavy Damage

Firefighters battled two separate blazes that left one woman critically injured and caused nearly $200,000 in damage to three apartments Wednesday night, authorities said.

The fires broke out within an hour and 10 blocks of each other in downtown Orange and for a time had firefighters fearful that brisk winds would spread sparks to neighboring wood roofs.

The cause of the fires was under investigation, but Battalion Chief Doug Flaherty of the Orange Fire Department said they were unrelated.

The first blaze broke out shortly before 9:30 p.m. in a duplex in the 200 block of Foley Place, according to Fire Capt. Rich Eggers.

A woman inside the duplex, identified as Mona McKay, 69, suffered severe burns and was rushed to UCI Medical Center in Orange, where she was listed in critical condition. Several firefighters were treated at the scene for minor burns, Eggers said.

The fire caused $80,000 to $100,000 in damage to one unit in the two-story duplex, Eggers said. The second unit was not damaged.

Word came about 10:15 p.m. of the second fire, in a four-unit apartment complex in the 800 block of North Olive Street, fire officials said.

No injuries were reported from that fire, but two units were demolished and the remaining two were damaged by smoke. Flaherty said the damage could exceed $80,000.

The four families displaced by the fire found shelter with friends, according to Steve Cooper of the American Red Cross.

Many of the firefighters left the Foley Place blaze for the Olive Street fire. When units first arrived at the second fire, flames and smoke were showing in the roof, prompting concern that the fire could spread. But firefighters were able to bring the blaze under control a short time later.