San Diego

Evacuated Family Thanks Firefighter Who Defended Their San Marcos Home

A young boy looked up in awe as he met one of the North County firefighters who helped protect his grandmother’s home from a small brush fire in San Marcos Friday.

The brush fire started just before 9:10 a.m. as a small spot on an embankment near State Route 78 and S. Santa Fe Road, fire dispatch officials said.

The fire climbed up the small slope towards Marilyn Moore’s home and others on De Leone Road, igniting a pine tree as it spread.

San Diego sheriff’s deputies were ready to knock on Moore’s front door and evacuate the family but she, her grandson Max and her dogs were already on their way out.

"I am so grateful that we are OK because it was so very close. There’s even burn marks on my stuff in the backyard," Moore said.

Crews quickly tempered flames and by 9:40 a.m. were monitoring any hot spots that remained.

After the fire was out, Moore and her grandson shook hands with a San Marcos firefighter who helped defend their home.

The firefighter told them they did everything right by self-evacuating.

But Moore credits the firefighters for saving her home.

"They were just on it or the whole block would’ve burned. It was wonderful, they were really on top of it," Moore said. "Poor California’s had enough fires without another one, especially in a residential area like this."

The cause of the fire was not known. 

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