Santee house fire displaces family

A Santee family of four was burned out of their Poinciana Drive home Tuesday, January 15, by a two-alarm fire that destroyed much of the house's interior. A firefighter and a civilian suffered minor injuries in the fire, according to Santee fire chief Bob Lee, who said both victims will be fine.

The fire started around noon, and when firefighters arrived, they could see flames through the front entryway and windows. They called for additional firefighters and equipment from neighboring cities and had the fire under control within an hour, the chief said.

The four-bedroom, 3000-square-foot house was extensively damaged and may be a total loss, according to an insurance adjustor at the scene.

The fire department called the sheriff's department arson squad for help determining the cause of the fire, which wasn't immediately obvious. Motorcycles and children's bicycles were outside the structure when the fire started. Two family members were able to get their two dogs out without injury.

Family members declined to talk to reporters at the scene, a long dead-end street a block from the Pepper Elementary School.