In the dark stillness of night, a quiet, tree-lined street in a San Diego neighborhood was plunged into tragedy when a plane clipped a main power line and crashed onto the street — turning cars into fireballs and sending hundreds of residents fleeing in a haze of smoke and confusion.

San Diego officials said at least two people are dead after the plane crashed in a neighborhood, causing multiple residences and cars to catch fire.

Authorities were investigating why a private plane crashed early Thursday in San Diego, killing two people, damaging homes and igniting cars in the U.S. military’s largest housing neighborhood.