CHULA VISTA, Calif. (KGTV) - A Chula Vista family is scrambling to find housing during the holidays after a house fire that may have been caused by lithium batteries.
From burned photos to a treasured collection of some 60 pair of rare sneakers, Bryan Kelly isn't getting much good news, when it comes to salvaging his personal items.
“The photos are irreplaceable … I plan to save shoes with burn marks because they mean so much to me,” said Kelly.
The fire that swept through his home sparked early Sunday afternoon. A call from police sent him racing back to his rented house on Date Street.
“When I got here, I was in shock, in disbelief,” said Kelly.
Cellphone video shows the scene after the fire was put out. In the video, Kelly’s 4-year-old son is heard saying, ‘Oh, no. Our Christmas tree.’
“The fire got to the roof, and just burned through the attic,” said Kelly.
The fire, along with the smoke damage, ruined most everything in the house, including a memorial flag honoring his partner's grandfather, who served in the Army.
“She's devastated. She won’t even come back here,” said Kelly.
As Kelly's family sifts through their belongings, a likely cause is emerging.
Fire investigators told Kelly the fire started on the front porch. Sitting on bottom shelf were two chargers and five lithium batteries, including batteries for a drill and a leaf blower.
Kelly says the chargers weren't plugged in and the rechargeable batteries weren't attached to anything, but those batteries were likely exposed to direct sunlight.
“Such an easy thing to move, and it may have prevented all of this,” said Kelly.
Chula Vista Fire officials says the cause of the fire remains undetermined, but they do recommend closely following the manufacturer's guidelines when storing lithium batteries.
A Gofundme campaign has been set up the help Kelly's family, which didn't have renters insurance.