Fire injures 2 firefighters, burns 3 homes, destroys unfinished building
Two firefighters were briefly hospitalized after a blaze in Pacific Beach early Christmas morning consumed a three-story building under construction, burned three nearby apartments, set palm trees alight and melted nearby cars and a fire engine.
The fire began around 1 a.m. on Hornblend Street near Jewell Street and within just half an hour had grown into a three-alarm fire, which is bigger and more complex than a first-alarm fire, said San Diego Fire-Rescue Battalion Chief Jeff Mitchell.
About 100 firefighters were deployed to extinguish it, he said. It took about an hour for them to knock down.
“The building was in the framing stage, and those always burn extremely hot,” San Diego FireRescue Deputy Chief Brian Raines told OnScene.TV in an interview at the scene.
The fire burned three rental units in two nearby houses, melted nearby cars and cast embers that set ablaze several palm trees a few blocks away, Raines added.
A nearby high-voltage power line also caught fire, Mitchell said, and the front of one fire engine had melting damage.
The two injured firefighters were briefly hospitalized, medically evaluated for minor burns and exhaustion and released within an hour, Mitchell added.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Fleeing suspect crashes into ambulance in Oceanside
OCEANSIDE
A domestic violence suspect being pursued by deputies crashed into an ambulance in Oceanside Saturday night, injuring two paramedics inside and critically injuring himself, the sheriff ’s department said.
Before the chase began, the man had gotten into an altercation with his family on Christmas Eve at their home on Casa Bonita Way in Vista around 8 p.m., sheriff ’s Lt. Martha Hernandez said.
The 42-year-old man allegedly threatened to kill his family, according to Hernandez. The family managed to get him outside their home, where he started wrecking nearby vehicles with a metal pole, Hernandez said.
Family members told authorities they believed he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
When deputies arrived, the susThe pect fled in a black Honda minivan, deputies said. They chased him as he ran several stop signs, reaching speeds as high as 70 mph, Hernandez said.
The suspect drove a few miles west to Oceanside, where he ran a red light and crashed into an ambulance at the intersection at Vista Way and College Boulevard, near the on-ramp to westbound state Route 78.
The crash hurt two North County Fire paramedics who were in the ambulance, authorities said. They were taken to a hospital with minor injuries, Hernandez said.
The suspect sustained lifethreatening injuries from the crash and was taken to a hospital, Hernandez said. As of Sunday evening, he was in critical but stable condition with more surgeries planned, sheriff ’s Lt. Scott Roller said.
The suspect was arrested on several charges, including making criminal threats, felony evading and vandalism.
EMILY ALVARENGA & KRISTEN TAKETA
U-T
La Mesa apartment fire kills dog, displaces six people LA MESA
One pet dog was killed and about half a dozen people had to evacuate from their homes on Christmas afternoon after a fire destroyed one apartment and damaged three others in La Mesa.
two-alarm fire began around 1:40 p.m. on Sunday at an apartment complex on San Juan Street near South Barcelona Street, said San Miguel Fire-Rescue Battalion Chief Roddy Blunt.
A child witness said they saw the fire start in their Christmas tree, Blunt said, but fire officials have not yet confirmed the cause of the fire, which is under investigation.
The fire started in a bottomfloor apartment, then spread through an open window to the balcony of the apartment upstairs, Blunt said. From there, it reached the roof, he added.
The two other apartments in the building were damaged by smoke, heat and water, Blunt said.
The apartment where the fire began was “completely destroyed,” and the other three have also been rendered essentially uninhabitable, he said.
One pet dog died in the fire, and about six people were displaced, Blunt said. American Red Cross helped the families, he said.
About 40 personnel from three fire departments — Heartland Fire and San Diego Fire-Rescue also assisted — worked together to take down the fire, which took about 30 to 40 minutes, Blunt said.
Fire officials ask that families remember to water their Christmas trees and ensure any tree lights are turned off when not at home.