Soldering Iron Used in Repairs Cited as Cause of Apartment Fire

A man was displaced Tuesday by an apartment fire that was apparently started by a soldering iron he had left on in his bedroom, firefighters said.

Jesse Parinas, 35, also suffered minor burns to a hand and knee from the fire in an apartment building in the 1300 block of San Juan Street, Orange County Fire Department spokeswoman Kathleen Cha said.

Investigators said Parinas told them he left the soldering iron on overnight after making repairs in his bedroom Monday. He was awakened by smoke and tried to put out flames with an extinguisher, Cha said. A neighbor reported the fire at 7:41 a.m.

Firefighters had the blaze under control in 15 minutes. No other apartments in the 12-unit complex were damaged, Cha said. Investigators estimated the damage at $30,000.