Boy + Lighter = $8,000 Apartment Fire
A 3-year-old boy playing with a lighter early Thursday ignited a fire that caused an estimated $8,000 in damages to a five-unit apartment complex, authorities said.
The blaze prompted firefighters to issue a public warning for parents to be extra careful in guarding against children playing with fire.
“Summer and Christmas are times of the year when we have the most problems with kids playing with fire,” said Emmy Day of the Orange County Fire Authority. “They have more leisure time, since school is out, and there are more things lying around for them to play with--candles and Christmas trees, for instance.”
Thursday’s fire started about 5:30 a.m. in the bedroom of an apartment in the 12700 block of Newport Avenue. About 40 firefighters took about 10 minutes to control the blaze.
The American Red Cross is providing shelter for the family of five while they wait for another apartment to become available.
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