Some people in Chula Vista may have to find a ride to work Monday after a fire tore through a garage twice, damaging seven cars.
It happened at Telegraph Canyon Terrace apartments around 2:30 a.m. Sunday. Orange flames lit up the early morning sky as Chula Vista firefighters put the fire out. The fire hopped from the garage to several parked cars, damaging seven vehicles total.
David Guzman's 2013 Volkswagen Golf is one of them. "It was a commuter. It was one of my newer cars," he said.
Guzman says a neighbor knocked on his door and woke him up around 2 a.m.
"We got up and came over," he said. "The garage is completely engulfed in flames. At that point, we heard popping, the wheels probably and whatever stuff was in there."
Fire investigators waited all morning because the garage was still smoldering. Almost four hours later, the fire rekindled. 10News cameras captured flames shooting about 30 feet in the air.
"I kind of noticed embers, smoke still coming from the back," said Guzman. "I figured something like that might happen but they were ready and they came back and took care of it."
Some people lost sentimental items like family photos. One woman told 10News she lost her wedding dress but she was planning on donating it to charity anyway.
Although the fire claimed precious items, Guzman says there's a lot to feel fortunate about.
"I was really thankful no one was hurt. My family was inside," he said. "My kids asked me, 'are we going to be alright?' I told them, 'We're all together. We're safe. Yes, we're going to be alright.'"
Fire investigators are working to find out what caused the fire. Chula Vista Police say it does not appear suspicious.
