Carlsbad Garage Fire Injures Two, Kills Dog

CARLSBAD, CA – A house fire in a neighborhood near Agua Hedionda Lagoon in Carlsbad caused extensive structural damage Thursday, left a resident and a firefighter with minor injuries and killed one of two dogs that wound up trapped in the burning residence.

The blaze began spreading in an attached residential garage in the 3900 block of James Drive about 12:15 p.m., said Division Chief Mike Lopez of the Carlsbad Fire Department.

A resident inside the single-story house at the time was able to escape the flames, but re-entered his burning home in a futile attempt to rescue his dogs, Lopez said.

It took firefighters, including personnel from Oceanside and Vista, about 25 minutes to extinguish the blaze, which gutted the garage, spread into the home and damaged a vehicle parked in front of it.

Crews found the two canines inside the scorched home, unconscious and unresponsive due to apparent smoke inhalation. Firefighters were able to revive one of the them, but the other died at the scene.

The American Red Cross was called in to help the displaced man arrange for interim lodging.

The cause of the fire remained under investigation as of late afternoon, Lopez said.

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--City News Service