11 in Family Flee Flames; Father Is Critically Hurt
The patriarch of a Filipino family of 11 was critically hurt in a house fire in Long Beach on Monday, but the rest of the family escaped through a window with only minor injuries, officials said.
A couch near a floor furnace caught fire about 4:30 a.m. and the family woke up to the smell of smoke and a screaming teen-ager who had been sleeping on the sofa, said Fire Department spokesman Bob Caldon. The family escaped flames engulfing the living room by jumping out of one of the home’s few windows without security bars, said Caldon.
“It was incredible that they all got out,” Caldon said.
Isidro Avelino, 32, was in critical condition and was being treated for smoke inhalation at St. Mary’s Medical Center, said hospital spokeswoman Carolyn Cohen.
His 13-year-old son, Ardel, who had been sleeping on the couch, and 9-month-old Robald were treated for second-degree burns at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, said Caldon.
Eight other family members were examined for smoke inhalation, the spokesman said.
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