Father, daughter killed in San Francisco Mission Terrace house fire

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- A San Francisco woman and her father were killed after their house caught fire early Wednesday morning.

Neighbors say the woman was 23-years-old and had just started law school. Her father was taken to the hospital in critical condition but later died from his injuries.

Her father has been identified as Ricardo Ron.

"The young woman arrived at the hospital and she was pronounced dead. And about 30 minutes ago, we found out that he, the father, just passed away as well," said San Francisco Supervisor Ahsha Safai, who represents the District.

Neighbors say they had recently lost the mother to cancer and had been struggling with her death. The family dog also died in the fire.

"I knew the girl since she was a little toddler and they were just good people and I hate that this happened to them," said Sara, a friend and neighbor who did not want her last name used.

The call came in from Delano Avenue around 2 a.m. Father and daughter were still in the house when firefighters got to them.

Next door neighbor Joel Macdonald tried to save them. He could hear the woman screaming for her dad.

"Saw flames coming out the window. I ran out and got my hose. I was on top of my car trying to spray it down. My other son, Jared, was in the back trying to spray it down," Macdonald said.

Neighbors could hear screams and saw a lot of smoke.

"Get out get out! Different voices trying to say get out. I later understood my neighbor here was trying to help them get out so I am not sure whose voices were saying, but a lot of screams to try and get out," said Justine Underhill.

"The firemen come and banged on our door and yelled 'get out! Get out,'" said Jean Vaal.

The Vaal Family lives right next door-- the fire charred the side of their home. They've known their neighbors for 20 years.

By late morning, news of the woman's death had spread. One neighbor left flowers in the driveway.

"It just makes you realize how precious life is, how quickly things can change," Underhill said.

Neighbor Yola Schmitz discovered a jewel in the rubble-- a photo album. Something she'll treasure forever.

"Here she is again," Schmitz said looking at the photos. "Look at Camilla. She's beautiful."

This neighborhood is an old tightknit community-- everyone knows one another.

The loss is so tragic and the pain is so intense.

SFPD has determined that the fire was not arson. They're still investigating what caused it.

They don't know if the home had working smoke detectors but say first responders and neighbors did not hear any alarms.

The coroner's office has not yet released the identity of the woman. They are trying to notify relatives.