A fire sparked at a home in Vista Saturday afternoon, authorities confirmed.
The blaze began around 12:30 p.m. at a residence in the 600 block of Tatum Street, dispatchers said.
Two teenagers, Anthony Jioia and his brother, were home when the fire began. Their father was dropping his mother off at work.
Jioia told NBC 7 San Diego the fire sparked in the garage. He noticed smoke in the kitchen and when he opened the door to the garage, he saw flames.
Jioia said he told his brother to get out of the house. The boys made it out safely with their pet rabbit and a dog they were taking care of for a friend.
Fire crews were able to extinguish the flames but the big challenge for firefighters was the extreme heat and a powerline that was down near the home.
Jioia said he was relieved they made it out alright, but upset that his house was damaged by the fire.
“It’s a good feeling that everybody is safe in your family but at same time your house is gone you have no clothes; this is pretty much all I have,” said Jioia.
The brothers were reunited with their father shortly after the fire was knocked down.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
A battalion chief in Vista said fire officials had 30-percent more calls Saturday due to the severely hot weather. Fire crews are making sure to stay hydrated because of the heat and the insulated 70-pound gear they wear on the job, the chief said.
