Mother, Son in Critical Condition, Firefighter Ill After House Blaze

A mother and her 2-year-old son were critically injured Sunday when a fire swept through their Upland home, authorities said.

Susan Tueber and her son, Sammy, were both unconscious and lying on the floor when firefighters arrived about noon at the small guest house in the 200 block of South 3rd Street, said Upland Fire Department Division Chief Lou Steslicki.

Firefighters moved the mother and son outside, and paramedics performed CPR for several minutes before the two were taken to San Antonio Community Hospital.

The boy was treated and flown to Loma Linda University Medical Center in critical condition, a hospital spokeswoman said.

Tueber, who was also in critical condition, was airlifted to the burn unit of Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton, officials said.

Fifteen firefighters from Upland, Rancho Cucamonga and Ontario responded to the blaze. An Upland firefighter suffered heat stress after helping to get the victims out of the house. He was taken to San Antonio Community Hospital.

“He complained of not feeling good generally, and he didn’t appear to be doing real good either,” Steslicki said.

Steslicki estimated the damage from the fire at $25,000.

Officials were investigating reports that a newly installed air-conditioning unit may have malfunctioned and sparked the fire.

Neighbors said Tueber had been living in the home at least two years.