A raging fire ripped through a home in Vista Friday night, causing extensive damage, officials said.
The blaze sparked around 11:30 p.m. at a house in the 1300 block of Clear Crest Drive. When Vista Fire Department crews arrived, they encountered heavy smoke and flames shooting from the home, including flames peering from the roof.
Crews from the Oceanside Fire Department arrived on scene to assist, and together, 34 firefighters battled the flames, while senior volunteers from the Vista Fire Department also helped.
Vista Fire Department Battalion Chief Martin Parish said the fire collapsed the home’s roof line, making firefighting efforts more challenging. Initially, flames from the back of the house posed a potential threat to neighboring homes, but Parish said firefighters were able to prevent the fire from spreading to other structures.
Within 35 minutes, firefighters had knocked out the blaze. Crews remained on scene monitoring hot spots until 3:30 a.m.
Officials said no one was home at the time of the fire, and no civilians or firefighters were injured.
Deputy Chief Ned Vander Pol, with the Vista Fire Department, said the cause of the fire remains under investigation. The home was heavily damaged but an estimate on the total loss was not immediately available Saturday.
