Wood Stove Blamed in Fatal Fire
A fire that killed a 3-year-old boy in Agua Dulce on Saturday started accidentally, Los Angeles County sheriff’s authorities said Sunday.
The fire at 7634 Escondido Road was caused by a wood-burning, potbellied stove that was used to heat the one-room house, Sheriff’s Deputy Rich Erickson said.
Wind-whipped flames engulfed the structure, preventing firefighters from rescuing toddler Vincent Larry Veloz, who apparently ran into a closet to escape the heat, authorities said.
The child’s mother, Sally Ann Veloz, 46, was in critical condition at Palmdale Hospital Medical Center suffering from burns to her lung tissue caused by breathing hot air while trying to rescue her son, a hospital spokeswoman said Sunday. Neighbor Coralie Wood, 47, was treated at the hospital and released with second-degree burns to her face and hands, authorities said.
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