OCEANSIDE — Several families staying in a beachfront vacation rental in Oceanside escaped injury early Sunday after smoke alarms alerted them to a fire in an attached garage, authorities said.
The Oceanside Fire Department responded at 12:54 a.m. to a reported residential structure fire in the attached garage of a home in the 800 block of Pacific Street, according to Battalion Chief Michael Farnham.
Fire crews arrived about four minutes later and found smoke coming from a closed garage door.
“Firefighters immediately confirmed that all occupants had safely evacuated the home, deployed hose lines, forced entry into the garage, and quickly extinguished the fire, preventing it from spreading into the living areas of the residence,” Farnham said.
No injuries were reported among residents or firefighters.
Although the fire was contained to the garage, the home sustained significant smoke damage. Utilities were shut off, displacing several families who were vacationing at the short-term rental, Farnham said.
Investigators determined the fire originated in an electrical equipment cabinet in the garage, but the specific electrical component that caused the fire had not been identified. The cause remains under investigation.
More than 20 firefighters from the Oceanside Fire Department, Vista Fire and Rescue, and North County Fire Protection District responded to the incident.
“The Oceanside Fire Department reminds residents and visitors that working smoke alarms save lives. When a smoke alarm activates, treat it as a real emergency,” Farnham said. “Wake everyone in the home, exit immediately, stay outside, and call 911 from a safe location. Never ignore a sounding smoke alarm or delay evacuation to investigate the source of the smoke or fire.”
