San Diego

Twelve Southeast San Diego residents were given food and shelter by the American Red Cross Tuesday after a fire wrecked two homes, authorities said.

San Diego and National City firefighters extinguished the fire, which broke out in the 1900 block of South 39th Street about 6:30 p.m. Monday. When firefighters arrived, smoke was billowing from a one-story, single-family house.

The house was occupied when the fire broke out, but no injuries were reported. A house next door also caught fire, and total damage was estimated at $200,000, authorities said.

Firefighter Larry Cook said one house had been home to six children, their parents and a relative, and the other housed a couple and a child. It was unknown how many were home at the time of the fire.

Fire crews worked for over an hour to put out the flames.