OCEANSIDE

Blaze Injures Resident, Cat While Damaging 6 Condos in Oceanside

Cat Rescue Oceanside Fire
Oceanside Fire

A blaze injured a resident and a house cat while damaging six condos inside a gated complex in Oceanside's Mira Costa neighborhood, authorities said Friday.

The fire was reported shortly before 2 p.m. Thursday at the Vista Way Village condominium complex off Vista Way near Rancho Del Oro Drive, Oceanside Fire Battalion Chief Scott Stein said.

Firefighters responded to the scene and found flames on the first floor of one of the three-story condominium buildings, then upgraded to a second-alarm response a short time later, Stein said.

Crews initially knocked down the flames within about 25 minutes, but upon further search "subsequent hotspots were found in void spaces of the building's construction," he said. Some of the building's features "proved problematic for (extinguishing) efforts and caused an extended operation for the next few hours."

One resident suffered smoke inhalation injuries, but declined medical care, Stein said. Firefighters resuscitated an injured house cat and the cat was reportedly recovering well as of Thursday evening.

The blaze damaged six of the 10 units in the building to varying degrees and the American Red Cross was called in to help those displaced residents arrange for temporary lodging.

The cause of the fire was under investigation.

Copyright CNS - City News Service
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