UPDATE 6:30pm | Neighbors heard smoke alarms as early as 8:30pm on Sunday night but the LBFD was not notified of a North Long Beach apartment fire until they responded around 1:30am Monday, where they discovered a 2-year old boy that was nearly dead as his mother had left him home alone for several hours.
New details and photos have been released by the Long Beach Fire Department this evening after a 2-year old boy nearly perished in an apartment fire last night before a dangerous rescue by firefighters.
The boy has been listed in Critical but Stable condition, and a press release from the LBFD tonight reveals that the boy was found in respiratory arrest, hiding in a closet when a firefighter found and rescued him. A neighbor told firefighters that smoke alarms could be heard as early as 8:30pm on Sunday night.
The mother of the child has already been arrested and charged with felony child abuse.
The fire was reportedly caused by a malfunctioning electrical exhaust fan above the stove in the kitchen. As we mentioned earlier today, the firefighter who rescued the child fell through the second-story floor but managed to stop himself with his elbows and continue searching. The press release indicates that this was caused by weakened support beams hidden under the floor.
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UPDATE 1:04pm | The Long Beach Police Department has announced that the mother of the two-year old boy rescued by firefighters last night has been arrested for felony child abuse after leaving the child alone for several hours.
Patience Aruomah, 31, is currently being held at the Long Beach City Jail on $100,000 bail. A child abuse detective immediately launched an investigation last night after an accidental fire nearly killed Aruomah’s two-year old son. The Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services will also investigate the incident.
Anyone who may have information that could assist this investigation should contact Child Abuse Detective Araceli Thue at (562) 570-7321.
12:28pm | In extremely dangerous conditions, a firefighter from the Long Beach Fire Department rescued a 2-year old boy from a burning apartment building at 2676 E. 55th Way in Long Beach last night, saving the boy’s life.
The firefighter and a partner – holding a hose and attempting to extinguish the flames – searched the second story of the building, looking for the boy around 1:30am last night. The boy was found hiding in a closet, and all three quickly evacuated the building. The boy was taken to a local hospital in critical condition, but has been showing signs of improvement.
Just before finding the boy, near tragedy struck.
“[The firefighter] went upstairs to search for victims and fell through the floor because it was burnt out,” said Steve Yamamoto, spokesman for the fire department. “He caught himself on his elbows.”
The firefighter – whose name is not yet being released – was treated for moderate to minor injuries.
Others escaped the flames as well, though it is not yet apparent how many people were inside the building when the fire broke out. Yamamoto says the fire appears to have been caused by an electrical issue in the kitchen. The damage is estimated to cost about $100,000.
