An early morning fire ripped through the awning of a Hillcrest residence on Thursday, causing about $20,000 in damages, officials said. The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department (SDFD) responded to a call at 1285 Brookes Terrace after a fallen power line ignited the structure's canopy.
The incident, reported just after 4 a.m., was swiftly managed by the SDFD crew, but no one was injured in the blaze. According to SDFD's incident report, the fire was knocked down by 4:34 a.m. and was contained to the awning in the back porch area.
With 28 personnel on scene including one truck, four engines, two battalion chiefs, and a medic, the SDFD efficiently prevented the fire from spreading to neighboring homes. A fire investigator from the Metro Arson Strike Team was also dispatched to the site, which is standard protocol for residential fires of this nature.
Investigations revealed the cause of the fire was accidental—stemming from a power line that had fallen on top of the awning, "The cause was accidental - a power line that was on top of the awning," according to Times of San Diego. The reason as to why this electrical line fell remains unclear.
