Aug 23, 2008 3:28 pm US/Pacific
Officials Say Fatal Nursing Home Fire Was Arson
PERRIS
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One person died in the fire and two others suffered minor burns, and were taken to a hospital for treatment, said CalFire-Riverside County spokeswoman Massiel De Guevara.
CBS
Arson investigators believe that a fire that killed one person and injured two others at a board-and-care facility in Perris was intentionally set, it was reported Sunday.
The fire struck before dawn Saturday at the Perris Place Adult Residential Care Home, 154 E. Second St., CalFire officials said.
The Riverside Press-Enterprise said neighbors pounded on the doors of the facility, which had a license for 42 patients, to alert people.
Firefighters saw flames towering over the building as they arrived at about 3:15 a.m. Saturday, the paper reported.
Firefighters found the charred remains of one man inside the reception area, but it was not known if he was a patient or employee, the newspaper reported.
The coroner tentatively identified the deceased person as an adult male, but withheld all details pending confirmation and family notification.
The fire was reported to CalFire at 3:14 a.m. at the corner of Second and D streets.
The two injured patients suffered minor burns and were taken to a hospital for treatment, said CalFire-Riverside County spokeswoman Massiel De Guevara. The total of 40 occupants displaced by the fire were being sheltered at other locations by the board-and-care facility, De Guevara said.
An investigation to determine the cause of the fire was underway.
Damage to the facility was estimated at $200,000, with $550,000 in property saved, according to CalFire.
(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)
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