Mother, Infant Treated After Apartment Fire

A mother and baby were recovering from smoke inhalation Thursday after a candle ignited bedding, causing a fire that prompted the evacuation of 22 people from a Fullerton apartment building, an official said.

The fire was reported at 9:52 p.m. Wednesday in the 2300 block of West Avenue and took 20 firefighters from Fullerton, Anaheim and the Orange County Fire Authority 15 minutes to put out, said Fullerton public information officer Sylvia Palmer.

The woman and her month-old baby suffered minor cases of smoke inhalation, Palmer said. Both were taken to a hospital. The woman was expected to be treated and released, but the baby was to be kept longer for observation, she said.

The fire was mostly confined to the bedroom of one four-plex, with the rest of the apartment sustaining moderate heat and smoke damage, Palmer said.

The other apartments occupied by 20 other people had minor to moderate smoke damage, she said.

The American Red Cross was notified to help find temporary lodging for those displaced.

An estimate of the damage was being made.