Carlsbad house fire victim died trying to save his dogs – NBC 7 San Diego

A neighbor tells NBC 7 a man died trying to save five dogs from his burning Carlsbad duplex over Memorial Day weekend.

Despite a quick response, the fire at 952 Pine Street on Saturday was already in full swing. Smoke and flames were visible throughout the neighborhood.

“I could see flames from my backyard,” said neighbor Natasha Tia.

“My 8-year-old saw this thick black smoke about 3 or 4 miles away,” neighbor Peter Reilly said.

“I was on my couch watching TV and I heard a loud noise,” neighbor Dave Salisbuoy said.

Salisbuoy lives in a condo next door. He has been friends with the two people living in the duplex for 20 years. He said the man who died was 98 years old and lived in the rear unit.

At one point, the man was safely outside, Salisbuoy said.

“He went out and then came back for the dogs, I guess. Then he collapsed,” Salisbuoy said.

The owner is 83 years old. Firefighters say she survived by jumping from a second-story window.

Salisbuoy spoke to him Monday morning.

“She’s doing pretty well. I’m just glad she’s OK and the other apartments are OK,” he said.

Investigators say the fire started on the second floor of the rear structure. They suspect an electrical fault to be the cause of the fire, but the investigation is still ongoing.

By most accounts, the weather was windy Saturday, so it proved impossible to limit the shooting to just that property. Embers came and burned a couch in the back of a van. A condo next door was supposed to be labeled yellow. The Reitz family, who moved in less than a month ago, is living elsewhere because of the damage.

NBC 7 spoke to Tommy Reitz the day of the fire.

“Scared. I'm a new dad. I just wanted to make sure the babies were okay and everyone else was okay too,” Reitz said.

The Reitzes were not alone. Several neighbors watched anxiously as firefighters battled the blaze, fearing their homes would be next.

“I was just afraid it would go quickly and quickly. It was huge. The fact that I could see it from my house, four lots away, was pretty intense,” Tia said.

Neighbors said four of the five dogs the deceased man wanted to save were killed. The duplex is destroyed. The owner has lived here all her life.

“It was really sad. It was really intense to experience,” Tia said.

The two people who lived there were already retired, but neighbors said they both spent their time helping feed the homeless.

The owner of the property was treated and released from hospital. She lives with relatives.