Fast-thinking, courageous neighbors are credited with rescuing a man from a duplex fire in Chula Vista on Sunday night.
The fire left the man injured and displaced several neighbors. Still, it could have been much worse, fire officials say.
The flames broke out at about 9 p.m. in the 560 block of Flower Street.
Marquita Clapp, who lives next door, said she heard a "ka-boom!" coming from the unit. She ran outside to find smoke pouring from the small duplex and started screaming for help, shouting, "Fire! Fire! Wake up, everybody!"
"A guy that lives on the other side saw me screaming," Clapp said. "He jumps out and I said, 'There's people inside.'"
She ordered him to kick the door in while she grabbed a hose. Fire officials say the homeowner in his 60s was in the shower when the fire started, but he tripped and fell as he tried to escape.
That's when neighbor Victor Nielson and his brother went over to the house and dragged him out.
"This was the first time doing something like this," Nielson said. "It was pretty cool helping someone out."
Others nearby broke windows to let the fire's pressure escape before emergency crews could arrive.
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The victim was taken to University of California San Diego Medical Center with minor burns to his neck and arms, fire officials said.
Firefighters were able to extinguish the flames quickly and most of the damage was confined to one unit. Two other units sustained smoke damage, officials said.
At least six people were displaced by the fire.
A damage estimate and cause of the fire have not yet been determined, but investigators say it started in the kitchen, possibly from small appliance. The man's home was also packed from wall to wall, providing perfect fuel for the fire.
Clapp told NBC 7 the community's quick action exemplifies the way they look out for one another.
"(We're) all neighbors here. We help," she said.
