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.