Simi House Fire Displaces Family
Two young children playing with matches accidentally ignited a house fire here Tuesday that displaced a family of four and caused $160,000 in damage, authorities said.
The blaze, which destroyed the house, started about 4:30 p.m. at a three-bedroom, single-story home in the 6200 block of Marsha Avenue, according to the Ventura County Fire Department. Neighbors on both sides of the burning house were evacuated by police.
The children, a boy and a girl under 10, escaped injury, but their mother, Jessette Hockett, 36, was treated for smoke inhalation at a local hospital, authorities said.
A preliminary investigation found that the children were playing with matches in one of their bedrooms, Fire Capt. Frank McGrath said. Flames were shooting from a window when firefighters arrived, he added.
The American Red Cross was working to find a place for the family to stay, authorities said.
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