SAN DIEGO — A three-alarm fire erupted at the construction site of what would have been a three-story apartment building at Hornblend and Jewell Street in Pacific Beach around 1 a.m. on Christmas morning.
"We looked up, and the flames were up, and the heat was so strong. It's crazy. It's completely insane. We’ve never seen something like that ever," Francesco Mezzetti, a Pacific Beach father living in a home directly across from the fire.
Mezzetti and his daughter, Greta, live across the street and saw the sky-high flames overnight.
"My sister told me to wake up, and all I saw were orange flames. When we walked outside, it was raining ashes," said Greta.
More than 100 firefighters and other crews worked to put the fire out.
"The building was still in its framing stage, and those always burn extremely hot. We did have significant ember casts that lit palm trees on fire," Brian Raines, Deputy Fire Chief of San Diego.
Two firefighters working Christmas Eve night went to the hospital with minor burn injuries. Officials say they are okay and are cleared to go back to work.
However, 17-year-old Greta got a Christmas present that she never wanted.
"My whole car is melted. It looks like a burnt marshmallow. It was white; now it's brown and black. The lights are melted. I'm disappointed, but I'm just happy no one is hurt," said Greta.
Other parked cars and three homes next to the construction site are also damaged. Crews continued to put out hot spots Christmas afternoon.
Power lines also went down, which caused an outage in the area. SDGE crews were repairing the power lines Christmas morning.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Meanwhile, Greta is grateful she and her family are okay.
"Glad we are alive. Merry Christmas," said Francesco.
"I'm grateful I'm okay. It would be worse if it were just the house, so I'm happy with the circumstances, I guess," said Greta.
To help raise money for a new car, Greta stared this GoFundMe page for people to donate.
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