Fire Investigation in Unincorporated El Cajon 

March 16, 2024 - San Diego County Sheriff’s Department officials report that the Sheriff's Bomb/Arson Unit is investigating a structure fire in the unincorporated area of El Cajon.

It happened on Friday, March 15, around 1:00 a.m. in the 1700 block of North First Street. The San Diego County Sheriff's Department received a call from a resident that their house was on fire.     

Deputies from the Lakeside Sheriff's Substation along with the San Miguel, Lakeside, Santee, and Heartland Fire Departments responded to the location. Units arrived within minutes and found the home fully engulfed in flames.

Four people living at the home were standing outside and advised an elderly female may still be inside. Firefighters conducted a rescue operation, entered the burning home, and quickly began looking for the woman. They found her in a bedroom. She was severely burned and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Detectives from the Sheriff's Bomb/Arson Unit were called to the scene to investigate the origin and cause of the fire. The fire was determined to have started in the bedroom where the victim was found. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. However, the fire does not appear to be suspicious.

The Sheriff's Bomb/Arson Unit is a regional resource that investigates fires involving suspicious circumstances, serious injuries, and death.

Source & photo: San Diego County Sheriff’s Department