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Candle started fire that ripped through Seal Beach apartment building, injuring 2

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A candle ignited a large fire at a Seal Beach apartment complex that left at least 33 people homeless and two hurt early Monday.

  • Firefighters from three departments battled a blaze early Monday, January 20, 2020, in an apartment complex in Seal Beach, authorities said, with two people suffering minor injuries. (Photo by OnScene.TV)

  • Five of the 16 units in the complex were damaged, Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Stephen Horner said. (Photo by OnScene.TV)

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  • A unit at Rossmoor Park condo complex is red tagged after an early morning fire in Seal Beach, CA, on Monday, Jan 20, 2020. Five units in the complex were damaged. One unit where the fire started and one below sustained “significant” damage. More than 20 adults and at least 13 children were displaced (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • The H building at Rossmoor Park condo complex suffered an early morning fire in Seal Beach, CA, on Monday, Jan 20, 2020. Five units in the complex were damaged. One unit where the fire started and one below sustained “significant” damage. More than 20 adults and at least 13 children were displaced (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Residents of Rossmoor Park condo complex check out the damage from an early morning fire in Seal Beach, CA, on Monday, Jan 20, 2020. Five units in the complex were damaged. One unit where the fire started and one below sustained “significant” damage. More than 20 adults and at least 13 children were displaced (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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The fire started inside the bedroom of a second-story unit in the 12200 block of Montecito Road just before 1 a.m., Capt. Tony Bommarito said.

Fire and smoke quickly spread through the building, damaging five units. The unit where the fire started and the one immediately below it sustained the most damage. The three other units had minor damage.

Firefighters put out the blaze in about 30 minutes, OCFA Capt. Stephen Horner said.

All of the units were left uninhabitable because the power was out.  More than 20 adults and at least 13 children were displaced as a result, Horner said.

The two injured were hurt when they attempted to put out the flames, Horner said. One had minor burns and was transported to UCI Medical Center. The other suffered smoke inhalation and was treated at the scene.

Horner said hoarding conditions in the unit where the fire started made accessing the blaze difficult. He said the fire likely spread more quickly because of the amount of stuff inside the unit.

“This just adds fuel to the fire,” he said.

City News Service contributed to this report.