SJ Firefighters Say Boy Playing With Matches Caused Fire
SAN JOSE (BCN) -- Firefighters struggled Tuesday night to extinguish a fire at a two-story condominium building in San Jose that was fueled by an active gas leak, a fire captain said.
The three-alarm blaze damaged multiple units at 299 Cartago Court and injured a woman after it broke out around 8 p.m., Capt. Steve Forman said. The woman suffered minor smoke inhalation and minor first-degree burns.
A gas leak on the second floor of the building made it difficult to contain the fire, and all of the department's units responded, Forman said.
The fire was extinguished around 10:10 p.m., but crew members were still on the scene working on hot spots as of 11 p.m., a fire dispatcher said.
Forman said the fire was caused by a boy playing with matches who apparently lit a couch on fire on the first floor.
The boy's mother saw him playing with the matches and took them away, but when she returned she saw the fire, Forman said.
(© 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Bay City News contributed to this report.)
