Small plane crashes into US neighbourhood, sets homes and vehicles on fire

A small plane crashed into a San Diego neighbourhood during foggy weather early on Thursday, setting about 15 homes on fire as well as vehicles, and forcing evacuations along several blocks, authorities said.

“We have jet fuel all over the place,” assistant fire department chief Dan Eddy said during a news conference. “Our main goal is to search all these homes and get everybody out right now.”

He said “there is a direct hit to multiple homes” in the Murphy Canyon neighbourhood and described “a gigantic debris field” in a dense, packed neighbourhood where a number of military families live.

It was not known if there were any injuries.

On the street, one home’s roof was blackened and collapsed, with a piece of white metal sitting on the street in front. Half a dozen fully charred cars sat on the street and tree limbs, glass and pieces of white and blue metal were scattered on the road. At the end of the street black smoke billowed as the site continued to burn.

Christopher Moore, who lives one street over from the crash site, said he and his wife were awakened by a loud bang and saw smoke when they looked out the window.