ESCONDIDO -- A 10-year-old boy injured in a fire in Escondido earlier this week is now dead, according to the County Medical Examiner. His family plans to donate his organs in the next few days, a family friend told 10News on Saturday.
The fire happened early Thursday morning in the 500 block of West 15th Avenue.
A 5-year-old girl, the young boy's niece, died at the scene and other family members suffered smoke inhalation. The father of the 10-year-old boy is still recovering in the hospital, but is improving.
Escondido Fire Chief Russ Knowles said the official cause of the blaze was undetermined, but it may have been sparked by an electrical failure or a candle. No smoke detectors were found in the home.
Fire officials told reporters at the scene the fire appeared to have started near a Christmas tree.
