San Diego

A fire in the rear of a Linda Vista home Thursday morning caused about $75,000 damage, the San Diego Fire Department said.

Firefighters were summoned to the 2300 block of Comstock Street at 9:13 a.m. and discovered smoke and flames billowing out of the rear of a house, a department spokeswoman said.

Owner Robert Sanford, 59, told firefighters he was sleeping at the time the blaze broke out, but was able to escape. Sanford’s daughter, who lives with her father, was not home at the time of the fire, the spokeswoman said.

Investigators said the fire was put out a short time later, and a preliminary investigation determined that the blaze was started by a candle.