A mother of two who moved to San Diego days ago for a fresh start lost nearly all her possessions - and her beloved six-month-old puppy - in a devastating Oceanside condominium fire.
On Sunday, Nitra Jones went to dinner with a friend to celebrate her moving into her new condo, located on the 5600 block of Boot Way in Oceanside.
When Jones came back, she tried to open the door to her place and was greeted by a cloud of smoke as flames burst out from the house.
The fire appears to have started on the bottom floor and quickly traveled upstairs. Investigators are still trying to figure out which room the fire started in, and how the fire started.
The blaze caused the second floor to partially collapse onto the first floor. The flames spread to the two units next to Jones' condo.
Firefighters could not save Jones' puppy, Captain.
"I was for calling for Captain, and he never came, and they told me that they found him on the second floor, and I asked to see him and they told me it wasn't a good idea," Jones said, in tears.
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Though she lost nearly everything she owns, Jones said the biggest loss was her best friend, Captain.
"So sad. My puppy is the worst thing," Jones said, crying. "Everything else, it doesn’t matter, but he was my puppy and I had him since he was a baby and he didn’t deserve to go like this and I feel so bad."
Jones had just rented the condo and moved in the day before the fire.
"My mom is devastated," said Mariano Cuellar, her 19-year-old son, on Sunday. "She lost all of the furniture she recently just bought. She moved cross country to stay with her kids and the worse thing that could happen, happened tonight."
Jones had not even slept in her new place yet - she had just moved all her clothes, belongings and new furniture in when she decided to go out to dinner with a friend to celebrate.
Based on the damage to her home, investigators say the fire was most likely burning without detection for a period of time before anyone became aware.
As Jones walked through the place Monday, she was brought to tears by the loss of her beloved dog and her new belongings - her fresh start after living in Virginia for six months.
"I just ask God, what is the plan for me?" Jones said.
It is unclear at this time how the fire started. An investigation is ongoing. No other information was immediately available.
If you wish to donate to the family, you can visit their GoFundMe page.
