5 Are Hurt, 1 Critically, in Assisted-Care Facility Fire

An 81-year-old woman was critically injured and four other people were hurt Sunday after fire erupted at an assisted-care facility in Tustin.

Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Stephen Miller said fire crews responded at 10:40 a.m. to the facility in the 12000 block of Newport Avenue. The fire was extinguished at 11:03 a.m., he said.

The most severely injured was a woman who suffered second- and third-degree burns. She was taken to Western Medical Center-Santa Ana, Miller said.

The fire started after she dropped a burning cigarette onto her lap blanket, he said.

Among the other injuries: An 84-year-old man and another patient, whose age was unknown, were treated at the hospital for smoke inhalation. A staff member was taken to a hospital for treatment of smoke-related injuries, and another was treated at the scene for a minor burn to her hand.

The cause of the fire was under investigation. Property loss was estimated at $13,000, Miller said.