Rescuers rush to aid pets doused in jet fuel after deadly San Diego plane crash

Neighbors rescue animals from blaze after fatal plane crash in San Diego neighborhood

A small plane crash in a San Diego neighborhood early Thursday morning killed two people, authorities confirmed. The impact ignited a fire, with residents quickly acting to save animals trapped by the flames.

SAN DIEGO – A deadly plane crash in a San Diego neighborhood this week triggered an urgent call for animal rescuers to save multiple family pets from the fiery wreckage.

The San Diego Humane Society responded before dawn Thursday to the devastating crash in the Murphy Canyon neighborhood.

Music executive Dave Shapiro and drummer Daniel Williams were among the six people on board the plane when it crashed, FOX News reported, and there are not believed to be any survivors.

Police officers search the site where a small plane crashed on a San Diego, California, residential street on May 22, 2025.

(SANDY HUFFAKER/AFP via Getty Images)

Authorities are working to determine whether the plane struck a pole before crashing into a home. According to the FOX Forecast Center, visibility in the area dropped to about a half-mile due to low clouds and fog.

"This is what we do — every day, and especially in our community’s most challenging times," the agency said. 

AT LEAST 2 DEAD, 8 INJURED AFTER SMALL PLANE CRASHES IN SAN DIEGO MILITARY COMMUNITY AMID FOGGY WEATHER

The San Diego Humane Society deployed its teams Thursday morning to the Murphy Canyon neighborhood after a deadly plane crash, providing critical support for animals impacted by the disaster.

(San Diego Humane Society)

Eight dogs were among the first animals rescued, according to the Humane Society. They were brought to the shelter's San Diego campus after being exposed to jet fuel from the mangled Cessna 550. A veterinary team began critical decontamination procedures and medical examinations. Another eight puppies requiring similar decontamination baths were taken to their Escondido campus. 

"These dogs will be with us for emergency boarding until their families can figure out next steps," the Humane Society said. 

Later that morning, the Humane Society's Emergency Response Team was deployed, responding to calls from evacuated pet families who had either lost or left behind their animals. 

"Our trained volunteers have been working tirelessly to go into the evacuation zone to retrieve those animals and return them to their thankful owners," the agency said.

The San Diego Humane Society deployed its teams Thursday morning to the Murphy Canyon neighborhood after a deadly plane crash, providing critical support for animals impacted by the disaster.

(San Diego Humane Society)

Staff also provided crucial support to pet families at a nearby elementary school, setting up a temporary shelter and distributing essential supplies at the evacuation center.

"We respond. We rescue. We heal. We reunite," the shelter said. "And we never say no to an animal in need."