Santa Ana : Fire Caused by Children Playing With Matches

Children playing with matches caused a $15,000 fire Wednesday in their apartment on Minnie Street, authorities said.

City Fire Department Battalion Chief John Chambers said that the three children, ages 4 to 10, were evacuated safely and that no one was injured in the brief blaze, which broke out about 1:10 p.m.

“We had four units respond, and we had the fire extinguished in about 15 minutes,” Chambers said.

The fire did not spread to adjoining apartments, Chambers said. He said the children apparently started the fire with matches “or some other fire they were playing with.” The fire spread from the closet to other rooms of the apartment.

Chambers estimated total structure and content damage at $15,000. The fire rendered the apartment temporarily uninhabitable, he said.

The county chapter of the American Red Cross had workers at the fire scene, and a spokesman said the organization will provide temporary shelter for the children and their parents. The names of the children and their parents were not immediately released.