Fatal Oceanside Fire Blamed on Children Playing With Matches

The fire that killed five people Monday morning in an apartment was caused by children playing with matches, Fire Marshal Ted Wackerman said Tuesday.

“I hope this is an education for all parents,” Wackerman said.

He said one or more of the young victims had apparently been playing with matches in the closet of the master bedroom. The fire filled the apartment with smoke so thick that firefighters had trouble wading through it.

The San Diego County medical examiner’s office said Joseph Arriola, 21, and his nephews Joshua, 4; Jesse, 3; Joseph, 2, and Jeremiah, 6 months, died of smoke inhalation. The boys’ parents, Marine Lance Cpl. Jesse Arriola and his wife, Angela, were at work when the fire was reported shortly after 8 a.m.

The smoke alarm in the apartment was melted so badly that it may never be determined if it sounded an alarm, Wackerman said. The fire was reported when the smoke set off an alarm in an upstairs apartment.

The body of Joseph Arriola was found on a bed in one of the smaller bedrooms. He had arrived from South Carolina on Sunday night to visit his brother and his family.

The boys’ bodies were found in a hallway. The boys may have been trying to escape when they were overcome by smoke, Wackerman said.