A Mount Hope-area house fire killed a child Monday, severely injured his younger siblings and left a man suffering from serious burns.
The blaze in the 4200 block of J Street erupted for unknown reasons shortly after midnight, according to the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.
Neighbors broke windows in their attempts to help the children and two adults — a babysitter and her boyfriend — escape the burning single-story house, San Diego Fire-Rescue Department spokesman Lee Swanson said. Despite the good Samaritans' efforts and those of emergency crews, a 12-year-old boy died inside the residence. His name was withheld pending family notification.
Medics took a girl and boy, believed to be about 6 and 8 years old, respectively, to a hospital, where they were admitted in critical condition.
Ambulance personnel also took the man who had been in the home when the fire started to a trauma center, along with two firefighters, one of whom suffered minor burns to his ears and the other a knee ailment that will keep him temporarily on light duty, Swanson said.
It took crews about 75 minutes to fully extinguish the flames and all hot spots.
Due to the extent of the structural damage, investigators were unable to pin down the exact cause of the fire, though they concluded it was accidental in nature, the spokesman said. The monetary losses were set at about $400,000.
The American Red Cross was called in to help the displaced family arrange for interim shelter.
