Father, infant seriously hurt in Van Nuys house fire

An infant and the boy's father were both severely burned and hospitalized in serious condition, and the child's mother and a toddler suffered minor injuries in a house fire Sunday in Van Nuys.

The child's mother and a toddler were hospitalized in fair condition, the Los Angeles Fire Department's Brian Humphrey said.

Firefighters were dispatched at 10:43 a.m. to 14302 Kittridge St. and had the fire out within 16 minutes, Humphrey said.

The fire sent up a plume of smoke about a quarter mile north of Victory Boulevard, and about that far east of Van Nuys Boulevard.

Humphrey told City News Service there were seven to nine people living in the home at the time of the fire. Firefighters also found a dead small dog and pet bird inside the home.

"Unfortunately, the animals succumbed to the smoke and flames,'' Humphrey said.

Firefighters also found only one smoke alarm in the house in a "distant bedroom,'' Humphrey continued.

"This is far below the standards we require,'' Humphrey said. "There should be a smoke alarm in every bedroom and at least one smoke alarm in the hallway outside the bedrooms. Having just one smoke alarm with multiple bedrooms is very dangerous.''

Humphrey said the single alarm did work and alerted the person in that bedroom to the fire.

That individual then roused the others in the home, but it was not enough to avoid injuries.

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