Apartment Fire In Casa de Oro Sends One to Hospital

A small kitchen fire broke out in a second-floor unit of  the Helix Square Apartments at San Juan and Conrad streets in Casa de Oro Monday morning, causing an evacuation of the building and sending the unit's resident to the hospital.

was dispatched at 11:23 a.m., according to Capt. Daron Hunt. Two trucks responded, the first arriving at 11:28 a.m. and the second at 11:29 a.m. he said.

The the cause of the blaze was unkonwn, and is still being investigated. It broke out in the kitchen of a second-story unit. Hunt said the man who lived in the unit was treated by medics and taken to Grossmont Hospital because of smoke inhalation.

Hunt said it took crews about 10 minutes to extinguish the fire, which remained confined to the single unit. The entire building was evacuated, but residents have since been allowed to return to their homes in all but two units. Fire officials estimated that there was $100,000 worth of damage done in structure and contents.  Hunt said that, additionally, the first-floor unit below where the fire broke out sustained water damage. 

The American Red Cross was called to help in relocation efforts. A representative told Mount Helix Patch that they are not sure if the man lived alone. The property manager at the apartment chose not to comment.