A home in Santee was destroyed early Saturday when flames sparked in the patio and quickly spread to the house, prompting a three-hour-long firefight.
Crews with the Santee Fire Department could see the flames from a distance as they rushed to a home on Summit Avenue just after 4 a.m.
Santee Fire Department Battalion Chief Tim Stuber said the blaze was coming from the back of the home. His crews pulled lines to the exterior and got to work.
Stuber said the fire had made its way into an attic space and, in his words, “firmly established itself in there.”
This began a firefight that lasted about three hours, aided by crews from Heartland Fire & Rescue, Lakeside Fire District and the Chula Vista Fire Department. In all, Stuber said it took about 25 firefighters to knock out the flames.
Stuber said all residents were able to get out safely but, for a little while amid the chaos, one resident was unaccounted for. That man was eventually found unharmed.
At least five people were displaced by the blaze. Stuber said the cause of the fire is unknown; the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department is helping with the investigation.
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No further details were released. Check back for updates on this story.
