NBC 7’s Matt Rascon reports on the fire that destroyed a family’s belongings and killed one of their pets.
Flames destroyed one home and killed a pet pitbull in El Cajon early Wednesday.
Heartland Fire responded to the two-alarm fire just before 5:30 a.m. at a duplex on East Madison Avenue.
Two adults and two children escaped injury. The family's pitbull puppy, King, was killed and a cat was missing.
Neighbor Rafael Black awoke to flames and smoke and said he tried to help the family living in the duplex.
"Smoke was going everywhere," Black said.
"I stepped out to see if I could help and his daughter was trapped in the back. He got his daughter out and after that everybody just got evacuated," he said.
Firefighters say they were able to knock down the flames within 10 minutes. Everything inside the unit was destroyed, officials said.
The San Diego chapter of the American Red Cross will be assisting the family to obtain temporary housing.
Local
The fire occurred just across the street from El Cajon Valley High School.
