Dogs alert owners that house is on fire

Disaster was averted early Sunday morning, Dec. 10, when some homeowner's dogs alerted them that there was trouble. Their residential structure fire started in the early morning at 2:50 am. The fire was reported in the vicinity of the 2700 block of Reche Road in Fallbrook and was a fully engulfed structure within minutes, according to NCFPD PIO John Choi.

This area is especially vulnerable as it is near Live Oak Park and heavily wooded with old oak trees.

PIO Choi said, "Crews arrived in approximately eight minutes to find a fully involved two-story residential structure fire. The structure did not have any working smoke detectors. Fortunately, the residents were alerted of the presence of fire by their dogs. By the time the residents were alerted, the fire was well-established. Consequently, by the time our crews reached the scene, the home was fully engulfed.

Despite the challenges posed by the fully engulfed structure, our teams, through their aggressive and well-coordinated efforts, successfully contained the fire, preventing its spread to nearby homes and vegetation. We are pleased to report that no civilian or firefighter injuries were reported from this incident."

PIO Choi reported that the incident is currently under investigation by the North County Fire Investigation Unit.

PIO Choi expressed profound gratitude to our esteemed neighboring firefighting agencies, including, "Oceanside Fire, Vista Fire, Pala Fire, and CAL Fire, for their invaluable support and collaborative efforts during this incident. Your unwavering dedication to service played a pivotal role in ensuring the safety and well-being of our community, and we commend your commitment to our shared mission."