SAN DIEGO -- A woman allegedly threatened children with a BB gun on a City Heights roadside Thursday, then ran inside her nearby home, which became engulfed in flames moments later, authorities reported.

A patrol officer had to pull the apparently incoherent resident out of a window of the burning 37th Street home, which she apparently had set ablaze somehow, according to San Diego police.

There was no immediate explanation for the incident, which began with reports of a pedestrian waving a gun on University Avenue about 2:45 p.m., SDPD Detective Gary Hassen said.

Witnesses reported that the unidentified woman appeared to angrily confront a boy and girl, ages 10 to 12, with a handgun before running off and entering a nearby home.

Police arrived to find flames and smoke pouring out of the rear of the house.

After rescuing the woman, officers sent her to a hospital for an evaluation, Hassen said.

It wasn't immediately clear if the involved children are related to the woman.