Firefighters, responding to a house fire in Southcrest, discovered more than a dozen people, including three children, living at the property illegally.
The fire started in the garage just before 3 a.m. Thursday and took firefighters close to a half hour to knock down.
The home at 43rd and Newton had been abandoned. A notice to vacate and demolish the building was posted to the door of the home.
“There was a large number of people living in and around the property in tents, in the garage, in the motor home, as well as in the house,” said Perry Peake, Deputy Chief San Diego Fire Rescue.
Fire damaged a trailer and fence in the back yard. Not much damage was done to the house according to firefighters.
One of the people living on the property suffered an asthma attack from the smoke and was sent to the hospital for treatment, firefighters said.
