About two dozen Chula Vista firefighters battled two house fires on Helix Avenue before dawn Friday.
Neighbors were awakened by sirens on Helix Avenue just before 3:20 a.m., a neighborhood located south of E. L Street and west of Interstate 805.
Two adjacent homes were burning.
Firefighters worked to keep the fire from spreading to other homes in the neighborhood. They kept a close eye on a palm tree that also caught fire and was spewing embers as it repeatedly flared up.
One resident told NBC 7 she learned of the fire from a friend who called her early Friday.
"I answered the phone and I was like, 'Hey, good morning, what’s up?' And he’s like, 'Dude, your house is on fire,'" she recalled.
Chula Vista Fire Department Battalion Chief Richard Brocchini said the blaze had spread to two separate homes, displacing four adults and two dogs from one residence and two adults, two kids and two dogs from the other.
One resident suffered minor injuries and was treated at the scene and released. No one else was hurt.
One of the displaced families is asking for donations to help them get back on their feet through a GoFundMe page.
Local
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
