1 killed as fire guts home that was target of drug investigation in San Diego County

A 23-year-old woman was killed early Thursday as a flash fire gutted a 3,500-square-foot home in an upscale part of northern San Diego County -- a house that had for months been the target of a drug investigation, officials said.

The woman’s body was found in a bedroom on the second floor of the home. A man was discovered outside the home with burns and cuts and was taken to a local trauma unit.

The fire was reported at 3:45 a.m. at a home valued at $1.5 million on a one-acre lot in the Olivenhain neighborhood of Encinitas. The cause of the blaze has not been determined.

When firefighters arrived, the home was engulfed in flames, with thick smoke billowing out of the windows.

The blaze was considered too dangerous for firefighters to immediately enter the structure. A Mastiff dog named Max was found dead on the porch.

After numerous complaints by neighbors, San Diego County sheriff’s deputies had raided the home in December, arresting six residents, including the home’s owner, on drug and other charges.

“Multiple searches over the next several months” led to more arrests, including two on July 14, according to Sheriff’s Lt. Mark Moreno.

The identity of the woman who was found dead is unknown, as are the whereabouts of the home’s owner.

During the December raid, deputies found several small hiding locations inside the home. The homeowner was found inside one of the spaces, officials said.