Boy With Candle May Have Started Fire : Accident: His mother is hurt in the blaze, which caused an estimated $70,000 in damage to a Huntington Beach apartment.

A 4-year-old boy found holding a burning candle may be responsible for starting a fire that broke out early Monday in the master bedroom of his family’s apartment, fire officials said.

The boy and his 5-year-old sister escaped from the apartment unharmed, but their mother, Debra Graham, suffered smoke inhalation and burns to her legs and feet when she tried to put out the blaze about 2:30 a.m.

Graham, 43, was in serious condition Monday evening at UCI Medical Center in Orange, hospital officials said.

The blaze, in the 17000 block of Emerald Lane, caused an estimated $70,000 damage to the apartment. No other units in the four-plex were damaged.

Fire officials said there was about $45,000 in structural damage and about $25,000 in content losses. The master bedroom and a bathroom were completely burned.

“Right now, we don’t know exactly how the fire started,” Fire Department spokeswoman Birgit Davis said. “The little boy was holding the candle and the bedding caught fire, that’s all we know. The investigation is continuing and we hope to find out the answer.”

Davis said the boy’s sister told fire investigators that her brother had the candle shortly before the blaze erupted. Officials did not say how the boy got the burning candle.

The fire was brought under control in 10 minutes by the 32 firefighters called to the apartment. When firefighters arrived, flames were showing through the front two windows of the apartment, Davis said.