CAMARILLO : Boy, 5, Accidentally Sets Fire to House

A 5-year-old boy playing with matches accidentally set fire to his grandparents’ home in Camarillo late Tuesday night, county fire officials said.

The boy’s aunt, Jamie Blase, 18, was treated and released at St. John’s Pleasant Valley Hospital in Camarillo for smoke inhalation. There were no other injuries.

The fire started in the boy’s bedroom and quickly spread throughout the Staunton Street house, causing $25,000 in damage, officials said. The fire was extinguished in about 10 minutes.

County Fire Department spokeswoman Sandi Wells said fires started by children playing with matches are not uncommon.

“Unfortunately, it happens a lot,” Wells said. “Young children are often curious about fire. That’s why we spend time in the schools teaching them matches are a tool, not a toy.”