In the second such fire in as many weeks, a West Valley child narrowly escaped injury after igniting his bed.
The 6-year-old boy and his sister, 13, were home alone Sunday afternoon when their apartment burned, West Valley fire Battalion Chief Jeff Scharman said.The girl was in the living room while her brother experimented with matches in a rear bedroom, he said. Both evacuated by their own accord.
Fire crews arrived at the fourplex, 3661 S. 3325 West, about 5 p.m. to find flames shooting from a front window. The blaze spread throughout the upper northernmost apartment, sending smoke into an adjacent attic, Scharman said.
Crews remained at the scene for two hours.
Fire investigators estimate at least $25,000 worth of damage to the complex. West Valley police held the brother and sister until their mother arrived.
The Sunday fire came 11/2 weeks after a 4-year-old boy playing with a fireplace lighter started a fire resulting in more than $40,000 damage to his grandparents' West Valley home.
The boy, his uncle and a great-grandmother escaped the house, 4086 W. 3630 South, without injury after the uncle attempted to douse the flames.
The April 20 house fire also threatened a veteran firefighter. West Valley firefighter Tony Glezos was pulled from the burning attic of the house after he fell through the roof while tapping for weak spots. He was transported to Pioneer Valley Hospital for examination but was not hospitalized.