Early morning fire guts residence on Mussey Grade
A studio/residence in the 15600 block of Mussey Grade Road was destroyed early Tuesday morning from a fire sparked by a burning candle, said the Ramona Fire Department/Cal Fire.
The 700-square-foot home was occupied by a renter who was uninjured, but an 18-year-old cat perished from the blaze, said Apparatus Engineer/Paramedic Shawn Warcup.
The fire started around 2 a.m. and it took firefighters about 20 minutes to extinguish it and another four hours to clean up, said Warcup.
“It’s a total loss,” he said, estimating damages at $75,000. The residence sits behind the primary house on the lot. The burning candle was on a dresser, he said.
Along with nine personnel from Ramona Fire Department and Cal Fire, San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and San Diego Gas & Electric responded to the scene, said Warcup.
The American Red Cross was called to assist the displaced renter, according to reports.