A Chula Vista man was injured trying to save his burning home Tuesday.
Chula Vista firefighters were called to the home just off Olympic Parkway and Interstate 805 around 1 a.m. and found the second floor fully engulfed.
As soon as crews began work on the fire they realized the resident had been inside the home, trying to fight the fire on his own. He was using a garden hose officials said.
A neighbor said he found the man inside the home before firefighters arrived looking for a fire extinguisher. The neighbor said he also tried to convince the man to get out of the burning home.
Firefighters managed to coax the resident outside where emergency personnel treated him for smoke inhalation officials said.
It’s something firefighters say they’ve dealt with before.
“People gotta do what they have to do and it’s hard to get owners to not act on stuff like that,” said Battalion Chief Michael Reeves.
The man sat visibly distraught on the corner of Carissa Court and Jasmine Street. He was concerned about his hospitalized mother finding out about the damage done to the family home.
As for the house, firefighters cut a hole in the roof to allow the intense heat the escape.
Crews are investigating what started the fire.