9 Injured In San Juan Capistrano Condo Fire

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO (CBSLA.com) — Nine people were injured, four critically, Tuesday morning in a fire at at a condo complex in south Orange County.

The fire was reported about 9:15 a.m. in a second-floor unit at the Capistrano Villas in the 26500 block of La Zanja Street in San Juan Capistrano, the Orange County Fire Authority said.

"When our firefighters arrived on scene, they had heavy smoke and fire showing, and they went right in," Capt. Steve Concialdi said.

A woman in her mid-40s jumped from a second-floor window and was critically injured in the fall. Neighbors alerted firefighters that more people were trapped inside the four-bedroom unit, which was home to nine adults and eight children.

"They pulled out a 1-year-old boy and a female, approximately 30. When they pulled both of them out, they were in grave condition," Concialdi said.

A woman in her 20s and five other children, ages 2 to 7, were taken to hospitals with various injuries.

Of the eight injured, two women and two children were listed in critical condition at Mission Hospital and UCI Medical Center.

The fire spread to an adjoining condo and destroyed the two units. Eight other units were damaged in the fire.

CBS2's Michele Gile spoke with officials who said about 80 people were displaced by the blaze.

The Red Cross opened a shelter for the fire victims at Capistrano Valley High School in the 26300 block of Via Escolar in Mission Viejo.

Firefighters also rescued a small dog from one condo.

Investigators said there were no working smoke detectors in the unit where the fire started.

In total, the blaze caused $180,000 in structural damage, and $40,000 worth of damage to residents contents.

Authorities believe the fire was most likely caused by a juvenile playing with a lighter in the living room of one of the units; however, the cause of the fire remains under investigation.