A fire early Friday at an apartment building in Mira Mesa sent one person to a hospital, left two residents displaced and caused about $800,000 in damage, authorities said.
The fire at the two-story Casas Apartments on Capricorn Way near Camino Ruiz broke out for unknown reasons around 1:15 a.m., according to the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department. Firefighters arrived to find heavy smoke and flames coming from a first-floor unit.
The woman living in the home was awakened by her smoke alarm but had already suffered smoke inhalation, Fire-Rescue Department spokesman Lee Swanson said. She was taken to a hospital to be treated.
The blaze also sent smoke into nearly apartments and the one directly above. The resident of the second-floor unit was being assisted in finding temporary housing by the American Red Cross.
“Fire companies did a great job in keeping the fire damage to one apartment,” Swanson said. “There is considerable smoke damage in the apartment directly above that unit, and some smoke damage to adjoining units.”
The fire caused an estimated $400,000 to the burned apartment, $200,000 to its contents and $200,000 to the surrounding apartments, he said.
Swanson said that although the fire’s cause remained under investigation, it was not related to a magnitude-5.2 earthquake that struck less than 10 minutes earlier 13 miles north-northwest of Borrego Springs.
—City News Service
