BOY BURNED IN FIRE SET BY 2 SIBLINGS : VENTURA 2-YEAR-OLD IN CRITICAL CONDITION.

Byline: Terry Kanakri Daily News Staff Writer

A 2-year-old boy was severely burned Wednesday in a fire that was caused by his two siblings who were playing with matches, officials said.

Alexander Lambert was burned while sleeping in an apartment bedroom on Garden Street about 8:15 a.m. when a bed caught on fire, officials said. The fire was started by his siblings, ages 4 and 6.

Alexander was listed in critical condition at Los Angeles County/USC Medical Center with burns to his face, upper chest, back and both arms.

``We urge parents to make sure their children don't have access to flammable materials such as lighters, matches, things of that nature,'' said Ventura Police Department Sgt. George Morris. ``There's a lot of things in a home that can catch on fire very easily. In this situation, the unfortunate part is it caused serious injuries to a young toddler.''

Police say Alexander was sleeping in his bedroom when his two siblings entered the room and began playing. Shortly thereafter, the two older children notified their mother, Sherri Johnson, 28, of a fire, at which time a bed was fully engulfed in flames.

Alexander became trapped in the burning room, and Johnson and her husband, Martin Gonzales, 34, ran into the burning room to rescue their child, officials said.

The Ventura Fire Department extinguished the flames and contained the blaze to the bedroom. However, Alexander suffered second-degree burns covering 40 percent of his body.

The parents suffered minor burns and singed hair. The parents and Alexander were treated at Ventura County Medical Center, but Alexander was airlifted to the County/USC burn unit in Los Angeles.