OCEANSIDE, Calif. (CNS) — Several families staying in a beachfront vacation rental house in Oceanside escaped injury Sunday morning when smoke alarms alerted them to a fire in an attached garage, authorities said.
The Oceanside Fire Department responded to a reported residential structure fire at 12:54 a.m. Sunday in the attached garage at 811 Pacific St., according to Battalion Chief Michael Farnham, who said the occupants were alerted by working smoke detectors, allowing everyone to safely evacuate before firefighters arrived.
"Fire crews arrived approximately four minutes later and found smoke coming from a closed garage door," Farnham said.
"Firefighters immediately confirmed that all occupants had safely evacuated the home, deployed hose lines, forced entry into the garage, and quickly extinguished the fire, preventing it from spreading into the living
areas of the residence."
No injuries were reported to firefighters or civilians.
Although the fire was contained to the garage, the home sustained significant smoke damage, Farnham said. Utilities to the residence were shut off, resulting in several families who were vacationing at the short-term rental being displaced.
Investigators determined the fire originated in an electrical equipment cabinet in the garage, but the exact electrical component that caused
the fire had not yet been identified. The fire remains under investigation.
More than 20 firefighting personnel from the OFD, Vista Fire and Rescue and North County Fire responded.
"The Oceanside Fire Department reminds residents and visitors that working smoke alarms save lives. When a smoke alarm activates, treat it as a real emergency," Farnham said. "Wake everyone in the home, exit immediately, stay outside and call 911 from a safe location. Never ignore a sounding smoke alarm or delay evacuation to investigate the source of the smoke or fire."
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