An electrical outlet is believed to have ignited a fire in a duplex attic Friday, displacing members of two families and a pet.
Poway Fire Department Battalion Chief Brian Mitchell said crews responded about 6:38 a.m. to a blaze in the 14200 block of Sutter Mill Way.
“When crews got out there, they found that a one-story duplex with two attached homes had significant fire on the exterior of the house,” said Mitchell. “The fire quickly spread into the attic space in both attached units. Our guys were able to keep the fire contained to the attic space.”
Mitchell said there was “really no fire damage” inside the home. But he said there was considerable smoke and water damage to the interior because firefighters had to “pull all of the ceiling down to get to the attic.”
There were no injuries, he said. The two displaced families included seven adults, one child and a pet lizard in an aquarium.
The faulty outlet was on the exterior of the residence, Mitchell said, leading to the start of the blaze, which “flashed up the side of the house and went into the attic.”