Three people were hospitalized after a fire engulfed their home in Mount Hope on Sunday, according to fire officials.
The family lost nearly all their belongings and their pet dog just two days before Christmas.
They were being treated for minor smoke inhalation injuries at a local trauma center, a fire dispatcher said.
The blaze began around 5:30 a.m. in a duplex in the 4300-block of J Street.
Flames poured from the home as firefighters arrived, according to video footage obtained from the scene.
In the scene video, a man can be seen running and screaming from the home carrying two children - one over each shoulder.
Firefighters estimated about $200,000 damage to the property and $100,000 damage to the contents of the home.
A fire dispatcher said three pet dogs were also occupants of the home. One animal was found uninjured in the backyard, another puppy took shelter at neighbor's house, but a third family pet died at the scene.
Emergency crews knocked out the fire around 6:30 a.m. No firefighters were injured during the response.
Hours after the fire had been extinguished, an undamaged Chirstmas tree was visible in the front yard.
Kathy Herrera told NBC 7 San Diego that her mom owns the home and was renting it to a family she knows.
"My mom called us this morning, crying, telling us her house had burned down," Herrera said. "They think it was caused by space heater. My mom just really wants to know if the family is OK."