Fire leaves woman homeless, causes $45,000 damage
HILLSIDE DISTRICT -- Fire investigators said they believe a broken
lamp is responsible for a blaze that displaced a Burbank woman from her
home.
The fire broke out at 8:54 p.m. Saturday when Francis Jansen attempted
to switch off a lamp in the living room of her home in the 400 block of
East Tujunga Avenue, said Burbank Fire Capt. Bob Reinhardt. The lamp
broke and its shade caught fire, Reinhardt said.
Although there was a fire extinguisher in the home, Jansen didn’t know
how to use it. Instead, she tried to suffocate the fire with a pillow,
which also caught fire.
When the flames spread to a recliner chair, Jansen called 911. The
fire was contained to the living room and damages were estimated at
$45,000.
The American Red Cross was called to assist Jansen and helped her
check into a hotel room for a few nights, Reinhardt said.
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On Sunday, a fire allegedly started by a 6-year-old boy playing with a
lighter caused about $200 damage to an apartment. That fire was reported
at 11:19 a.m. in the 2400 block of North Naomi Street.
The boy lit clothes on fire in a bedroom, Reinhardt said.
Smoke detectors alerted the parents, who quickly put the fire out.
Reinhardt added that the result could have been much worse because there
were several people in the apartment.
“This is another time where smoke detector’s saved lives,” he said.
The boy was counseled by fire officials at the scene and has been
referred to the Burbank Outreach Center for additional counseling,
Reinhardt said.