Man rescued by neighbor, 3 dogs killed in Simi Valley house fire

SIMI VALLEY, Calif. (KABC) -- A man was rescued by a neighbor and three dogs were killed during a condominium fire in Simi Valley Monday.

At 11:38 a.m., Ventura County firefighters were dispatched to a three-story condominium complex in the 2700 block of Stearns Street.

A homeowner's association board member, John Magana, was doing maintenance in the complex when he smelled smoke. He began to search for the source and found a 29-year-old man who lived in the condominium attempting to flee from the flames by escaping from the third-story window.

"He didn't have any other option at that point. He was going to jump, you could see it in his eyes," Magana said.

Magana ran to his garage, grabbed a 24-foot extension ladder and raised it to help the man down. A nearby Good Samaritan ran over to help Magana secure the ladder.

The trapped man came down just as the room he was in became engulfed in flames.

"This was a potentially life-saving situation, at the very least he would have been severely injured," VCFD Capt. Mike Lindbery said.

The man, who did not want to be identified, was checked by medical personnel at the scene and then released.

A cat was also rescued from the home by a firefighter, but three Chihuahuas died.

"The dogs were in a kennel. The dogs didn't have a chance to get away, but the cat was able to get mobile," Lindbery said.

The man was so devastated by the loss of his dogs, he had trouble speaking. Magana said the man cried and sat on the grass for more than an hour. But the man also cried when thanking Magana for saving his life.

"He gave me a hug. He said, 'thank you,'" Magana said. "It takes a lot to get me emotional, but it caused a couple of tears to come out of my eyes."

According to authorities, 39 firefighters battled the blazed and knocked it down within 35 minutes.

No other injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation.