TUSTIN : Burned 4-Year-Old in Serious Condition

A 4-year-old boy who accidentally set his clothes on fire with a cigarette lighter remained in serious condition Monday in the burn unit at UCI Medical Center in Orange, a hospital official said.

Joel Hoare Jr. was burned over 30% of his body, primarily on his neck, arms and chest, said hospital spokeswoman Fran Tardiff. The burns “aren’t life-threatening injuries, and he’s going to be OK,” Tardiff said.

Early on Sunday morning, the boy found a disposable lighter that had been left in the kitchen of the family’s Tustin apartment. He returned to his bedroom with the lighter and began playing with it. The flame from the lighter ignited his pajama bottoms, and he dashed around the bedroom screaming as the fire spread to his T-shirt.