According to the homeowner, Alba de la Torre, neighbors and firefighters managed to rescue more than a dozen Weimaraner puppies and one adult dog from the residence.

SAN DIEGO — A National City family lost three dogs in a house fire that broke out Saturday morning near East Orange Avenue and 13th Street.

According to the homeowner, Alba de la Torre, neighbors and firefighters managed to rescue more than a dozen Weimaraner puppies and one adult dog from the residence. 

The fire ignited around 11:00 a.m. Saturday while the homeowners were away.

De la Torre, said she and her husband were at church when they got the news their house was on fire. She said they rushed home immediately.

Three adult dogs died despite rescue efforts by firefighters. Neighbors rushed to help evacuate the dogs.

“My neighbor, she was helping with the puppies, but then I started asking about Blue,” said De la Torre as tears filled her eyes.

Blue was one of the pets who did not survive. 

“He was so spoiled, he was the king of the house. That was the reason he was inside, he never liked to be outside,” she said.

De la Torre and her family are currently staying at a motel.

Fire crews from National City, San Diego and Chula Vista responded quickly to the scene, extinguishing the flames within approximately 10 minutes. The firefighters prioritized containment efforts to prevent the fire from spreading to adjacent properties.

A second house began to catch fire during the incident, but crews successfully contained the flames before significant damage occurred. Residents heard explosions during the firefighting operation. According to Battalion Chief Stiles, propane cylinders at the second house created the noise. The explosions resulted from the fire, not from the initial cause. 

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.