Man critically injured in Solana Beach condo fire

A man suffered burns and was critically injured Wednesday night and his wife and daughter suffered smoke inhalation after a fire ignited in a Solana Beach condominium Wednesday night, Feb. 10, authorities said.

(File photo)

The fire was reported around 8:40 p.m. on Arcaro Lane off Solana Circle, north of Via de la Valle, when someone driving by spotted smoke.

The first engine to respond was able to find the address and more firefighters from Solana Beach, Del Mar and Encinitas arrived to help.

The man was sleeping upstairs when the fire started while his two family members were downstairs, said sheriff’s bomb-arson Sgt. Greg Hampton.

“The wife found the fire,” Hampton said. “She told the daughter to get out (and) she helped her husband.”

He said the investigation into the cause and origin of the fire is continuing, but investigators think “it is most likely not arson.”

Deputies helped to get the three residents out of the burning home. All three were transported to local hospitals.

Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire, which was reported contained by 8:55 p.m. Crews were able to keep the blaze from spreading beyond the one unit, said Encinitas Deputy Fire Chief Robert Ford.

Ford didn’t have a damage estimate but said all the floors of the condo suffered moderate smoke damage as well as damage caused when firefighters opened up drywall to make sure the fire hadn’t spread.

Residents in condos adjacent to the one damaged in the fire were able to go back to their homes that night, he said.

— Karen Kucher is a reporter for The San Diego Union-Tribune