Two people were displaced after fire tore through their University Heights apartment Tuesday.
The blaze started just after 12 p.m. in the 4600 block of Hamilton Street. Smoke was pouring from the windows of a first-floor unit when firefighters arrived, officials said.
San Diego Fire Battalion Chief Grace Yamane says a mattress leaning on a wall heater started the fire.
“(It) also ignited a Christmas tree in the living room,” she said.
Yamane says the fire department sees more fires like this as temperatures drop.
“I already went to a fire earlier this morning that was the result of having a rug on top of a floor heater,” she said.
Yamane offers these tips to prevent a house fire this winter:
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Have San Diego Gas and Electric check your heaters to make sure they’re venting properly.
Keep anything flammable away from heating units.
Recycle your Christmas tree. (Click here for a complete list of recycling sites.)
The fire caused major damage to the living room but did not spread to other apartments, according to the fire department.
The residents weren’t home at the time of the fire, so no one was injured. They’re getting assistance from the Red Cross.
