SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – Crews battling a fire at a Valencia Park home Monday morning discovered a woman dead inside.
San Diego Fire-Rescue Department officials said the house fire was reported just before 8 a.m. in the 5200 block of Groveland Drive.
Betty, a resident in the area, told ABC 10News she called 911 after seeing smoke coming from the home.
“I tried to go inside with other people, but the smoke was coming out of the house,” she said.
Betty added that no one had lived in this house for a while, as it was being remodeled. But often, she said, people would break in.
"People would go inside there and do their thing, so it's abandoned,” Betty told ABC 10News.
Fire officials said it took more than 20 firefighters to put out the blaze. They confirmed the house was abandoned, adding they are looking into reports about squatters moving in.
Investigators are trying to piece together what sparked the fire and identify the woman found dead inside or why she was there.
Betty said she's especially thankful the fire didn't spread.
"Because the fire was so big, we thought it was going to get into the poles and come over here," she said.
