7 Injured in Christmas Tree Blaze : Fire: Sparked by a child playing with matches, the flames cause $110,000 in damage to a Costa Mesa home. Three adults are hospitalized with burns.

A Christmas tree fire, ignited by a child playing with matches, injured all seven members of a family late Friday night and caused an estimated $110,000 in damage to their home, authorities reported Saturday.

The blaze at 2579 Westminster Place started about 10:30 p.m. Christmas night and quickly engulfed the single-family house before family members could get out of the structure with the help of neighbors, witnesses said.

Three adults--a mother, grandfather and grandmother--required hospitalization for first- and second-degree burns, said Fire Capt. Mike Treanor. Four children, including the one who allegedly was playing with matches, suffered smoke inhalation but did not require hospitalization.

The names of the victims were not released, but, Treanor said, the four children ranged in age from 1 year old to 12 years old.

One woman, identified as the grandmother, was trapped in a back bedroom and lost consciousness due to the smoke, Treanor said. Police and firefighters managed to rescue her through a window as flames shrouded the room.

Rick Spargur, who was visiting friends in the neighborhood at the time of the incident, said Saturday that he noticed reflections of the blaze over the top of the house.

“I thought it was my car on fire,” Spargur said.

Spargur and a friend ran across the street, where he heard screams coming from the back of the house. He then kicked in a gate to the back yard, he said, and entered the burning house from the rear. Spargur said he was able to bring out one of the adult women, who was later identified as the mother of the four children.

“It was damn hot; it was smoky,” said Spargur, adding that his friend pulled the children to safety from a front window.

Neighbors also managed to get the grandfather to safety from that same window, according to those at the scene on Saturday.

The room from which the children and grandfather were rescued “was completely orange with fire,” said Kerry Collins, a neighbor who said he helped with the rescues. “Everyone was in a state of panic.”

Treanor said the fire caused an estimated $80,000 damage to the structure of the house and $30,000 to contents. The loss was so extensive the family had to move out and live with relatives. According to neighbors, the family lost all their Christmas presents.

“This could have been devastating,” Treanor said, noting that firefighters felt relieved that no one had died in the fire.

Treanor warned that Christmas tree fires are explosive and can quickly burn down a house because intense heat can be generated within seconds. Christmas trees become particularly hazardous as they dry out, he said.

Last week, Orange County fire officials issued warnings about keeping Yuletide trees watered and removing them promptly if they become dry.

“If a Christmas tree in the house is dying or dead, you should get rid of it as soon as possible,” Treanor said.