San Diego

Elderly Couple Displaced Following Point Loma House Fire

The house was stacked with debris and belongings, making it hard for firefighters to put out the flames

An elderly couple was displaced Sunday after firefighters rushed to put out the flames at their home in Point Loma.

The fire happened around 8 a.m. in the 4000 block of Atascadero Drive near Catalina Boulevard.

"Woke up to sirens today, this morning that is, and saw a lot of responses — fire engines, police came down," neighbor Dan Blevins said. "Ended up seeing probably seven fire trucks. It was hectic."

What made this house fire even more hectic was that it was stacked with debris and belongings.

"The house was filled with belongings (typical) with a hoarder house so it made it hard for firefighters to get in and out," San Diego Fire-Rescue battalion chief Craig Newell said.

The fire started in the kitchen and may have been caused by an overloaded extension cord that was powering the refrigerator, he said.

The elderly couple was able to get out of the house safely but the man ran back inside to save his dog, Newell said.

Both the man and the dog are safe but the man was rushed to the hospital for smoke inhalation, he said.

"One, they had no smoke detectors in the house that were working," Newell said. "Two, one of the residents tried to go back in to rescue the dog and we want to emphasize to never go back into a fire."

The American Red Cross was on the scene to help the couple find a place to stay.

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