2 Firefighters Injured Battling East County House Fire

EL CAJON, CA — Two firefighters suffered minor injuries Tuesday morning when part of a burning El Cajon house fell on them as they worked to put out the blaze.

The two-alarm fire was reported around 3 a.m. at the single-story residence in the 1300 block of Helix View Drive, just southeast of Interstate 8, according to Heartland Fire & Rescue.

Firefighters arrived to find that a detached garage on the property was fully engulfed in flames and the fire had spread to the house, as well as some surrounding vegetation, Heartland Fire & Rescue spokesman Sonny Saghera said.

Footage shot by 10News showed a burning section of the garage collapse and fall onto two firefighters as they fought the blaze, briefly trapping the pair underneath. One firefighter crawled out from the rubble with smoke rising from his uniform as other firefighters rushed to help them.

Both were taken to the UC San Diego Medical Center burn unit for treatment of minor injuries, Saghera said, adding that both have since been released.

Two residents were able to escape the home unharmed along with their dog, he said.

Crews knocked down the flames within an hour, but the blaze destroyed the garage and caused smoke damage throughout the home, including the attic, Saghera said.

El Cajon police and the Sheriff Department's bomb-arson unit were investigating the cause of the fire.

ALSO SEE: Feds Unearth Drug-Smuggling Tunnel From Tijuana To Otay Mesa

--Bay City News