One man had to get stitches after he awoke to flames inside his Rancho Bernardo home and took matters into his own hands.
Hans Wiesenfarch and his wife woke up to the sound of smoke alarms in their home on the 11000-block of Calendo Road around 12:15 a.m. Tuesday.
When they rushed downstairs, their dining room was on fire.
At first, the couple tried to use a hose to stop the fire, but when they realized it wasn’t long enough, they dialed 911.
While Wiesenfarch was able to get out safely, he noticed his four cats were missing and decided to go back for them.
“I broke the window to get the cat out, but that was a mistake,” he told NBC 7 as he looked at his bandaged hand.
Three cats were safe while the fourth one was still inside, hiding.
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Wiesenfarch says things could have ended worse.
“Fortunately, the fire alarms worked,” he said. “I checked them about a week ago to make sure the batteries are okay.”
Fire investigators say the fire cause is “unspecified electric.”
The home’s residents tell NBC 7 they think it started from a power strip.
SDG&E workers were on the scene to look at the problem.
Firefighters estimated damages at $86,000.
Wiesenfarch says he and his wife will stay at a nearby hotel while cleaning up the damage.
