EL CAJON, Calif. (KGTV) -- A woman is safe, after escaping her burning El Cajon home near interstate 8 and 2nd street Monday. All she could do after her escape - was sit and watch her home burn as neighbors tried to console her.
The roof that was once over her head was soon covered in flames and thick, gray smoke.
"She's just the neighbor's mom," said Becky Kasinak. She stays there because she's ill."
The woman inside was home alone when the fire erupted.
"I think some people went over there and I ran over there when I saw the house was on fire," said Kasinak. "They said 'Is anybody in the house? I said no, just her.' Because I knew the other people had already left."
Despite her age and worsening illness, the woman managed to escape on her own. After saving her own life, she sat in a daze while she watched part of her home burn to the ground.
Neighbors held her hand and cooled her head, heartbroken at her devastating loss.
"I'm not in her shoes," said Tommy Hermiz. " But I hope I'm never in her shoes. She's for sure devastated and she's pretty upset and she's probably not thinking straight at the moment that her house is gone."
Firefighters say the blaze started on the back patio of the home. The patio is a total loss and the rest of the home is damaged from smoke and water. A neighbors window was blown out from the excessive heat.
The American Red Cross is assisting the family. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
