RANCHO SANTA FE, Calif. --
A firefighter was hurt while battling an early morning blaze at a home under construction in the affluent community of Rancho Santa Fe.
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The fire was reported shortly before 6 a.m. Monday in the 7300 block of Camino De Arriba at a planned community named Cielo Hillside Village.
Video from Newschopper 7/39 showed dozens of firefighters and several fire trucks working to bring the fire under control. Flames could be seen shooting into the air, and the Spanish tile roof had collapsed in a number of places.
The home, a custom design with more than 7,000 square feet, was being built on a ridge with expansive views of undeveloped hills and canyons above Del Dios Highway.
Firefighters said the sheer size made it hard to put out the flames. Thirty firefighters from Escondido, Oceanside and other cities rushed to the scene. They said the fire was hard to fight, because it was so big and because the home did not have its fire sprinklers hooked up yet.
One of the firefighters suffered a minor injury to his shoulder and was taken to Palomar Medical Center for treatment.
There are 44 homes under construction and a real estate agent told NBC 7/39 one of them has more than 19,000 square feet.
Officials said the community was built to prevent fires from spreading house to house. The homes have special, fire-resistant landscaping and there are open space clearances between each residence.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
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