CASITAS SPRINGS : Mobile Home Fire Injures Father, Baby

An infant and his father suffered serious injuries late Friday in a mobile home fire in the Casitas Springs area.

Jerome Haberstich, 19 months, suffered burns and smoke inhalation and was in critical condition at Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles. His father, Barry Haberstich, was in serious condition in the intensive care unit at Ventura County Medical Center.

The fire started at about 10 p.m. at the Casitas Mobile Home Park on Nye Road.

“I’m looking at it as a miracle that the two people survived and the whole place didn’t go up in flames,” park manager Lia Brewer said. “These places go up very quickly.”

Brewer said that at about 10 p.m. she went to ask people at a party at one of the mobile homes to quiet down. She said Haberstich, who is also known as Barry Mann, his wife, Janet Mann, and their two other children were at the gathering. On her way back to her own trailer, Brewer noticed smoke coming from the Haberstich mobile home, she said.

Brewer called 911 and then went back to the party to tell Haberstich about the smoke.

She said Haberstich ran into the mobile home to rescue the baby but didn’t come out again.

The mobile home was engulfed in flames when a Ventura County reserve firefighter who lives next door arrived. Ken Wickersham and county firefighter John Spykerman opened the wall of the mobile home and rescued the unconscious man and baby, fire officials said.

Wickersham administered oxygen to the infant. Jerome appeared to have second-degree burns on his left hand and first- and second-degree burns on his face, Wichersham said.

“Both Barry and the little boy were breathing on their own, just barely conscious,” Wickersham said.

The two victims were taken to Ventura County Medical Center, and Jerome was transferred to Los Angeles.

Brewer said the family had lived at the park for about six years.

Wickersham described the people he rescued as good friends. “They’ve even had me over for Thanksgiving and Christmas,” he said.

The Ventura County Fire Department said the cause of the fire was a malfunctioning refrigerator. Total damage was placed at $17,000.