A six-month-old chocolate Labrador, named Captain, died in a fire that broke out in a two-story condo in Oceanside Sunday, a friend of the woman who lives in the condo told NBC 7.
The two women had gone to dinner to celebrate her moving into the condo, but when they came back the house was on fire. As they tried opening the door a huge cloud of smoke and flames burst from the house.
They were unable to get her pet out. She said the woman had just bought the dog.
The fire started around 9:35 p.m. in the 5600 block of Boot Way. Flames caused the second floor to partially collapse onto the first floor. The fire also spread to two units next to the condo.
The woman's son told NBC 7 his mother had just rented the condo and moved in yesterday.
"My mom is devastated. She lost all of the furniture she recently just bought," said Mariano Cuellar, her 19-year-old son. "She moved cross country to stay with her kids and the worse thing that could happen happened tonight."
The fire appears to have started on the bottom floor and quickly traveled upstairs. Investigators are still trying to figure out which room the fire started in.
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Based on the damage to her home, investigators say the fire was most likely burning without detection for a period of time before anyone became aware.
No one was hurt except for the dog, according to officials. The six-month-old puppy was his mother's best friend, said Cuellar. She would sleep with him every night.
The son told NBC 7 that any prayers sent his family's way will help them in this difficult time.
The building was still smoking afterward and hot spots were a concern. It is unclear how the fire started. An investigation is ongoing. No other information was immediately available.
If you wish to donate to the family, you can visit their GoFundMe page.
