Families Evacuate Safely After Fire At Oceanside Beach Rental

OCEANSIDE, CA — Guests at an Oceanside beachfront rental escaped safely early Sunday after smoke detectors alerted them to a garage fire that firefighters contained before it spread to the rest of the home.

The Oceanside Fire Department responded at 12:54 a.m. to a reported residential structure fire at a short-term rental in the 800 block of Pacific Street. Firefighters arrived about four minutes later and found smoke coming from a closed garage door.

All occupants had evacuated the home before crews arrived. Firefighters forced entry into the garage, deployed hose lines and quickly extinguished the flames, preventing the fire from reaching the living areas, officials said.

No civilians or firefighters were injured. The fire was contained to the garage, but the home sustained significant smoke damage, officials said. Utilities were shut off, displacing several families who were staying at the rental.

Investigators determined the fire started in an electrical equipment cabinet in the garage. The specific electrical component that caused the fire has not been identified and remained under investigation.

The response included personnel from the Oceanside Fire Department, Vista Fire and Rescue and North County Fire Protection District, along with assistance from SDG&E.