San Diego volunteer firefighters responded to a house fire on the 700 block of West Saint Charles just after 3:15 Wednesday, May 6, that killed 58-year-old Ismael "Smiley" Briones.
When crews arrived, the wooden home was fully engulfed in flames and spreading to a neighboring home. Briones was found dead after the fire was extinguished.
Vivian Saenz, a friend of Briones, remembered him fondly.
"He had a great sense of humor. He had a loving heart. And he was friends. He had many, many, many friends. And he was loved by many," Saenz said.
Briones' family said he was unable to use his arms after a medical procedure he had about six years ago, but they say it never stopped him from enjoying life or making others laugh.
"I'll miss him and I know that he's already making people smile up there with his smile and his attitude," Saenz said.
Saenz and Briones' uncle, Hector Cantu, said prayers from the community are what the family needs now as they try to make sense of losing their loved one.
"Just pray - that everything turns out okay. That's it. That everything turns out okay. It's just hard," Saenz and Cantu said.
Family members also want the community to know there are currently no official fundraisers or GoFundMe accounts associated with Briones' death.
The investigation into the official cause of the fire is ongoing.
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