Officials probe fire that left 3 injured

A 1-year-old girl, an elderly woman, and a man suffered severe burns during a blaze in an apartment in a Dorchester three-decker yesterday that may have been set by the male victim, police said.

The fire ripped through the first-floor apartment on Dix Street, leaving an elderly woman with second-degree burns on about 20 percent of her body, while the man and child suffered life-threatening burns, said Acting District Fire Chief Paul Carey and police. Officials did not release the names of the victims.

"Investigators have determined that an accelerant was used, and information indicates that the injuries may be a result of an intentional act by the male victim," police said in a posting on the department's website.

The man and child were taken to Massachusetts General Hospital's burn unit, where they were listed last night in critical condition. The woman was brought to Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Quynh Trinh identified the woman as her aunt, Nguyen Trinh, and said she was expected to survive.

"I'm very worried for my aunt," Trinh said. "I have no idea how this started."

She said that the injured man, whose name she did not know, was the boyfriend of the injured toddler's mother, who lived in the apartment. Trinh said she thought as many as seven people lived in the first-floor unit, which was gutted by the fire.

A police official with knowledge of the investigation said there had been an incident of domestic violence at the apartment last month.

Boston firefighters received a 911 call at 5:47 p.m. yesterday. The fire began at the rear in a kitchen, said Carey, who estimated the damage at $10,000. He said smoke detectors in the apartment appeared to be working.

Fire officials characterized the blaze as a small fire, saying it was extinguished in less than an hour. Singed clothing was clumped in front of the apartment's entrance last night.

"I saw a lot of smoke and I grabbed my son and ran outside," said Michael Trinh , who lives on the second floor.

The second- and third-floor apartments in the three-decker were undamaged.

Neighbors interviewed last night described the victims as Vietnamese immigrants .

Denise Monteiro, spokeswoman for the Department of Social Services, said department officials are investigating the case and dispatched workers to check on the child's condition.

An hour after firefighters put out the blaze, police cordoned off the charred home and brought in homicide detectives.

A Vietnamese-speaking police officer was summoned to the scene to translate with survivors and witnesses.

Police said detectives from the homicide, arson, and family justice units, along with the Boston Fire Department, were investigating the fire. Investigators were seen examining a small sports utility vehicle outside the house before having it towed from the scene.

Suzanne Smalley and Patricia Wen of the Globe staff and Globe correspondents Michael Naughton and Khristopher Flack contributed to this report. Abel can be reached at dabel@globe.com; Mishra at rmishra@globe.com.