CAMARILLO : Fire Started by Child Destroys Garage

A blaze that started Monday when a child playing with fire lit a blanket destroyed a Camarillo garage before firefighters were able to put it out, officials said.

County fire investigators said the fire erupted about noon in the detached garage of a single-family residence in the 2400 block of Barry Street. It was started by a 4-year-old who was playing with a lighter, a fire dispatcher said.

The flames did not threaten other buildings, but demolished the interior of the garage, causing an estimated $17,000 in damages, the dispatcher said. No one was injured in the blaze, which was contained within 15 minutes, officials said.

Camarillo code enforcement officer Gilbert Smaby said the garage contained a bed and some other furnishings, but did not appear to be an illegal conversion. The city is not considering filing any charges for code violations, he said.

The property is owned by Hillary Ling, a Camarillo dentist, fire officials said. Ling was out of state Monday and not available for comment, said a receptionist at his Camarillo office.