CAL FIRE and San Diego County firefighters arrived just minutes after an emergency call at 7 a.m. Sunday, reporting flames and heavy smoke burning through a home in Dulzura.
The house is owned by Gary Lane, 67, and his wife, Jeannie Lane, 65, on Campo Road near Lucky Six Truck Trail. Their adult son, Kevin, 32, lives with them. He has asthma and several disabilities.
Stream San Diego News for free, 24/7, wherever you are with NBC 7.
WATCH HERE
"Our children are always here spending the night with grandma and grandpa," said Kelly Lane, who lives in Campo with her husband, Ken Lane, and their daughters. They were woken up by a phone call from her frantic father-in-law.
Get top local San Diego stories delivered to you every morning with our News Headlines newsletter.
SIGN UP "'What do you mean the house is burning down?'" Ken said about the conversation. "I just got everybody out [he told me]. I can’t get the dogs out, he said. He could barely put a sentence together.”
Three of the dogs survived. Two others, a six-month-old puppy toy chihuahua and a nine-year-old Yorkie, died. Gary Lane saved his younger son.
"When my father-in-law found him," Kelly told NBC 7. "He was covered in ash, and he said he was not able to wake him at first."
Firefighters were able to put out the fire within an hour, and it did not spread to nearby rural land or flammable vegetation. The Lane family had followed CAL FIRE recommendations for defensible space around a home.
Local
This weekend’s light rain and moisture provided a brief respite from significant fire danger. But, it also could prompt a serious threat in the near future.
“With this rainfall, we’re going to get a lot of new grass growth throughout the county. This grass growth, transitioning into the summer, is going to dry out and become very flammable," said Capt. Robert Johnson, public information officer for CAL FIRE San Diego County.
Fire investigators said they believe the fire started in the living room of the house. There is no word yet on how it started.
All three of the family members were transported to UCSD Medical Center in Hillcrest for treatment.
Ken Lane is grateful that his parents and brother will survive.
“It doesn't seem like it's real. I just have to make sure they’re ok," he said.
