Law school student, 23, and father die in overnight San Francisco house fire

SAN FRANCISCO (KTVU) - A 23-year-old woman and her 71-year-old father were killed following an overnight house fire in San Francisco, neighbors and firefighters said. The family dog died, too. 

Authorities have identified the 71-year-old man as Ricardo Ron and the young woman as 23-year-old Camila Ron Ruiz.

Neighbor Joel MacDonald said the daughter had just started law school at the University of San Francisco this fall and her mother died recently of breast cancer.

MacDonald heard her screaming "Dad!" shortly after the fire broke out just after 2 a.m. Wednesday at their home on Delano Avenue, near Balboa Park. He also said he tried to help, but when he went to their door to try to get them out, it was too hot and he couldn't get in.

Neighbor Justine Underhill also heard different people yelling, "Get out! Get out!"

San Francisco Fire Chief Jeanine Nicholson said the two were eventually rescued from the burning house, and were given CPR, before being rushed to a trauma center. By the time the young woman arrived to the hospital, she had died. Hours later, her father also died at the hospital. A dog inside the home died in the fire.

Nicholson said arson investigators were looking for the cause of the fire, but their presence did not mean foul play was suspected.

"Typically in a fire where people are injured or a greater alarm fire we call our fire investigators to investigate the cause to determine the cause and origin," Nicholson said.

"This truly is a tragedy for our entire community," said Supervisor Ahsha Safai, "Both Ricardo Ron and Camila Ron Ruiz unfortunately lost their lives to this fire. I send my most heartfelt condolences and am committed to working with the family to make sure they are supported during this time of terrible loss. It is critical that each household in the community is equipped with the proper fire safety equipment, so we can prevent tragedies like this from occurring in the future."

The house suffered major fire damage, but the flames did not spread to other homes.