A fire caused more than half a million dollars in damage to a home in La Jolla Thursday, fire officials confirmed.
The blaze began around 2:40 p.m. at a home multi-level home in the 5400 block of Bahia Lane, near Parkview Terrace. The house was currently tented off for fumigation.
According to San Diego Fire-Rescue spokesperson Maurice Luque, a fumigation worker who was at the property to ventilate the home noticed smoke underneath the tarps and called the fire department.
Upon arrival, fire crews could see smoke stemming from the residence.
Luque says tackling the fire was difficult at fire, given the tarps covering the home and unknown gases inside. The home was also very dark, he said.
“The fire was really challenging because the tarps had kind of kept the fire smothered,” explained Luque.
Once the tarps were pulled off, firefighters were able to knock down the fire.
Luque said two firefighters were transported to Scripps Hospital with minor injuries related to the fire, including a sprained thumb and dizziness.
The cause of the blaze is under investigation, but it is believed to be accidental. Luque said damage is estimated at $500,000 to the structure and $50,000 to the contents of the home.
Investigators believe the fire began in the bottom level of the home and then burned upwards, ripping through the second floor in the process.
