Son rescues 81-year-old father from burning home

A man rescued his 81-year-old father from a burning home Tuesday afternoon in rural Soquel, an unincorporated community in Santa Cruz County, a Central Fire Protection District spokesman said.

Firefighters responded to a report of a structure fire in the 4700 block of Soquel Creek Road near Soquel San Jose Road shortly before 2:15 p.m., district spokesman Mike DeMars said.

When crews arrived they found the fire at a two-room unit 5 feet away from a larger home on a property, DeMars said.

The man had been inside the larger home and noticed smoke coming out of the neighboring unit where his parents live, according to DeMars.

The man went to the burning unit where he pulled out his dad and called 911, DeMars said.

The man’s mother had been away from the home picking up their grandchildren, according to DeMars.

A second-alarm response was called due to the home’s proximity to wildland, the spokesman said.

The fire was under control shortly after 2:30 p.m. and crews remained on scene for another 30 minutes to conduct overhaul operations, DeMars said.

The smaller unit was considered a total loss but the fire didn’t extend to the larger home, according to DeMars.

The father had suffered a stroke and uses a walker to get around, the spokesman said.

The 81-year-old inhaled some smoke but declined medical treatment, according to DeMars. No injuries were reported.

The son planned to have his father checked out by a doctor, DeMars said.

The blaze originated in the kitchen, but the father couldn’t remember the events prior to the fire, according to DeMars.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

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