SANTA PAULA : Fire Started by Child Damages Apartment
A 3-year-old child playing with matches started a fire in a two-story apartment building in Santa Paula Tuesday, causing $45,000 in damage to one apartment and its contents, fire officials said.
About 26 volunteer firefighters and four fire engines responded to the 1:37 p.m. call at 525 Acacia Road, officials said.
One person was treated for smoke inhalation at the scene, said officials, who did not release the names of the apartment residents or the person treated.
The child started the fire in a bedroom of the family’s second-floor apartment, which building and health officials deemed unlivable after the blaze, fire officials said.
A smoke detector warned the family members and saved them from injury, officials said.
The American Red Cross is providing temporary shelter for the family, officials said.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
