Oceanside CA— At approximately 3:25 Wednesday afternoon, February 21, 2018, multiple callers reported to 9-1-1 that smoke was coming from the rear of a single family residence, located 2369 Carriage Circle, in Oceanside.
The first arriving Rescue Ambulance (RA217) reported visible smoke and multiple bystanders in the driveway, and then updated additional resources responding to the incident. When the on-duty Battalion Chief (B217) arrived next, a working residential fire was confirmed and ordered RA217 to quickly remove occupants trying to battle the well-established fire with a garden hose and search for victims. Once on-scene, fire department crews extended long hose lines through the front door of the residence and were met with a well-established structure fire.
While attacking the attic fire inside the occupancy, the Captain from Engine 213 and support from additional crews completed an entire search of the residence and confirmed no victims were located inside. Without confirmation of how many victims were exposed to smoke inhalation, an additional Rescue Ambulance (RA213) was added to assist with search and rescue, while fire control efforts continued.
Fire department paramedics set up a patient treatment for any victims found as a result of the neighbors initial efforts to try and help evacuate the residence prior to fire department arrival.
Additional crews were assigned to extinguish the fire in the attic and inside the residence, as well as climb to the roof and cut and holes to release the smoke and hot gasses present inside the structure. The aggressive initial fire attack kept the fire from spreading throughout the entire attic and made a quick stop of the fire, helping to preserve several valuable property items located inside.
The fire was brought under control in approximately twenty-eight minutes. Damage was minimized as a result of the quick work of the first arriving Oceanside Fire personnel.
An investigator with the Oceanside Fire Department responded to the scene in order to determine the cause and origin of the fire. While the fire appears to be unintentional, the exact cause is still being investigated.
Mutual Aid provided by Carlsbad and Vista Fire Departments.