Fire Scorches Historic Stockton Home

STOCKTON, Calif. (CBS13) -- An Easter morning fire caused severe damage to a historic Victorian home, but the family was able to escape out of an upper-floor window without suffering serious injuries, fire officials said.

A couch caught fire at about 8:00 a.m. Sunday, and the flames spread throughout the bottom floor by the time the family was alerted.

The family of five used a ladder propped near a second story window to evacuate the home before firefighters arrived. An 11-year-old child suffered minor injuries after slipping during the escape.

Firefighters said the house was engulfed when they arrived, and the 19th-century design of the home made it difficult to knock down the flames.

"If fire gets in the walls they tend to spread up the walls because the lack of fire stoppage," said Battalion Chief Robert Tuitavuki.

The cause of the fire was apparently traced back to an unattended candle.

"If you're going to use them, because people use them for religious purposes, you just have to make sure they're away from combustibles and keep an eye on them," Tuitavuki said.