2 Hurt in Fire Blamed on Boy Playing With Matches

A 5-year-old playing with matches started a fire that injured his 3-year-old brother and burned his mother when she ran to rescue the toddler, authorities said.

Santa Ana firefighters took just a few minutes to douse the 2 p.m. blaze that caused about $10,000 damage to a garage in the 1200 block of West Camile, Fire Capt. Loren Moyer said.

Lorena Ayala, 24, and her 3-year-old son were taken to Martin Luther Hospital in Anaheim for treatment of burns, Moyer said.

Mother and son were both stable Wednesday night.

The boy had been sliding on a mattress in the closed garage when his older brother accidentally set the mattress on fire, said their aunt, Eva Ayala, 23.

Lorena Ayala ran to the garage window and climbed inside to rescue the boys, said her sister, who fed a garden hose through the window.

About 70% of the house fires every year in Santa Ana are started by children playing with lighters or matches, said Lisa Cookston, the Fire Department’s public education officer.

When children are old enough to handle matches responsibly, she said, parents should supervise them lighting birthday candles, for instance, to dispel some of the allure and mystique.

Before then, matches should be stored out of reach of children, she said.