An Escondido family awakened to the smell of smoke managed to escape a frightening house fire early Wednesday.
The fire started around 3:30 a.m. in the family’s home on West 15th Avenue.
Rebecca and Michael Dikes told NBC 7 San Diego they woke up to the smell of smoke and flames coming from the closet of their home office.
Rebecca, who doesn’t recall a fire alarm going off, said she was frightened and immediately began screaming.
For about 10 minutes the family attempted to put the fire out themselves.
But soon -- the mother of three, with one on the way -- said she knew it was time to call 911, get their dogs, and get out of the home they were renting.
"It was going well until I went and checked on them at one point and they had kind of stirred each other up, oh my dolls are in the house and that kind of thing, but then we had a quick family meeting about what's important and they're fine now," Rebecca Dikes said.
Firefighters were very concerned the roof might cave at one point according to an Escondido Fire Battalion Chief.
Crews knocked down the fire and believe the cause may be electrical.
San Diego Gas and Electric crews were called to fix a downed power line that had fallen on a police patrol car. The officer was not in the car at the time.
Investigators were looking to see if the house fire and downed electrical lines were related.