The backyards of several houses were scorched in a fire that sparked in Mountain View. Photo Credit: SDFD

A small fire scorched the backyards of three homes Saturday in the Mountain View area, according to San Diego Fire-Rescue (SDFD).

Firefighters battling the blaze also witnessed the start of an unrelated fire that they quickly extinguished, authorities said.

The initial fire started around 3:50 p.m. in the 300 block of 46th Street in a finger canyon behind several homes, said SDFD spokeswoman Monica Munoz.

“It started as a vegetation fire but spread to some sheds and fences,” Munoz said. “Three back yards were burned up, but there was no damage to the actual structures, and the families won’t be displaced.”

The homes were kept safe from the flames because of the fire crews’ quick response, Munoz said.

“These guys jumped on it really quickly,” she said.

The fire was under control in less than an hour, but crews had no idea what started it, Munoz said. Investigators were called to the scene to probe the source.

Meanwhile, an SDFD helicopter responding to the blaze noticed smoke about a mile south, near Interstate 805 and Palm Avenue, and called on ground crews to investigate, Munoz said.

Firefighters responding to the smoke put out the blaze, which scorched about half an acre, Munoz said.

They believe that fire started in a small pile of garbage that was dumped on the side of the interstate.

— City News Service