Shortly after noon on Friday, law enforcement officials confirmed that a man who holed up in a home adjacent to a burning garage had been found dead.
The incident prompted the callout of a SWAT team to a residence in the unincorporated area of El Cajon that burned for hours. Investigators with the San Diego County Sheriff's Department said the man died of apparent self-inflicted gunshot wounds in one of the bedrooms.
The incident was first reported to law enforcement as a domestic disturbance, according to sheriff's Lt. Amber Baggs, who said deputies learned a 58-year-old man was threatening to take his own life with a firearm. At the time, she stressed that the man was the only person who remained in the home and that other family members were evacuated. There was no threat to the community, according to Baggs, who added that students at neighboring schools were safe during the incident.
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Family members told deputies that the man started the fire in the detached garage, which was contained to that structure, and that there were multiple firearms inside the home. Deputies made several calls to the man inside via a cell phone, but he never answered, Baggs said.
While the sheriff's department did acknowledge that a SWAT team was sent to the scene, Baggs said the incident was not a SWAT situation.
At least two neighboring homes were evacuated due to the fire, Baggs said.
The fire was reported at the home in a residential neighborhood near North 4th Avenue and East Madison Avenue at about 9:15 a.m. By 12:45 p.m. it appeared to be mostly out, with smoke visible from the smoldering structure.
By 11 a.m., the SWAT team had arrived at the scene. Several law enforcement officers with assault rifles were spotted, including one officer from the El Cajon Police Department, and at least one deputy was seen taking cover behind a fire truck. Overhead, a San Diego Polie helicopter circled overhead.
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Heartland Fire-Rescue and San Miguel Fire & Rescue firefighters worked for hours to tackle the blaze from a distance. Despite their efforts, a plume of smoke rose above the residential neighborhood. A hook-and-ladder truck parked on the street extended its ladder and sprayed water on the garage from quite a distance away, apparently remote-controlled.
"Firefighters must let the structure adjacent to the garage burn to find where the fire is coming from within that structure," said Chris Brainard, a fire chief with the San Miguel Fire & Rescue Department. "Because the man inside has a weapon, firefighters must keep a safe distance and attack the fire using a hose from Truck 6."
At least a half-dozen fire vehicles were at the scene, and several firefighters set up in a yard next door, manning hoses. Another half-dozen patrol cars were parked nearby, some blocking traffic from entering the area.
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At one point, a large group of firefighters appeared to be huddled on the street behind a fire truck, which blocked them from the home. It seemed that few efforts could safely be made to fight the flames that burned in the garage area, other than the hoses firing long-distance.
During the long fight with the fire, a large part of the structure in the building's rear collapsed. It was not clear if there were any injuries.
The burning building is near Granite Hills High School. where, at 11:10, it appeared at least two officers are on campus. Teachers could also be seen, apparently waiting for students to enter classrooms.
