Firefighters at apartment
Firefighters at the apartment building in Nestor. Courtesy OnScene.TV

A Christmas Eve apartment fire in a South Bay neighborhood of San Diego injured one person, killed a family’s pets and left 12 people displaced, authorities reported.

San Diego Fire-Rescue crews were dispatched at about 6 a.m. Sunday to the second floor of an apartment building at 2034 Ilex Avenue in the Nestor neighborhood.

Officials said the blaze resulted in the total destruction of one apartment unit. One resident was transported to a local hospital for smoke-related injuries.

The fire was contained quickly, but two adjacent units also sustained significant damage, according to fire officials.

At least five adults and seven children were displaced.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known.

City News Service and OnScene.TV contributed to this article.

Chris Jennewein is Editor & Publisher of Times of San Diego.