SANTEE, Calif. — Destiny Tudara and her husband have lived in their home in Santee with their two kids and small puppy for five years.
When their neighbor Jason drove by the house around 6 a.m. Monday because he forgot his cellphone at home, he saw their house on fire. The family had been sleeping.
Jason got out of his car, ran and banged on their door.
"There was really no thinking," he said. "It was just get to it, and get it done, to try to see if there were people inside."
Tudara and her family woke up to loud knocks. When she realized what was happening, she grabbed her kids and her dog and rushed them out of the house to safety.
"I just feel so blessed that he was in the area at the time because if he hadn't been, I don't think we would have been alive," Tudara said.
Tudara's husband and Jason stayed behind, trying to hose down the fire until firefighters arrived.
Video of the damage and debris shows their shed completely burned down. There's damage to part of the backyard. Inside the house, the kitchen is covered in heat insulation.
Tudara said it could've been a lot worse if it weren't for Jason spotting the flames.
"I can never replace my children, so for that I am very very thankful," she said.
The Tudara family is working with investigators to figure out what sparked the fire. They are also working with their insurance to get started on repairs.
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