Neighbors say homeless seen running from vacant home just before it went up in flames

A vacant home in southeast Fresno was destroyed by fire Wednesday as firefighters stood ready for Fourth of July incidents.

Battalion Chief Tim Fulmer said homeless people were seen by neighbors at the home near the intersection of Balch and Adler avenues before it went up in flames around 12:30 p.m.

The roughly 1,000-square-foot home was engulfed in smoke as fire crews poured water over stubborn flames. Fulmer said initial reports suggested there may have been people trapped inside the home. Firefighters entered to search for them but a roof collapse caused the rescuers to scramble out, Fulmer said.

Nobody was found inside, according to Fulmer. He said a cause of the fire has not been determined but added that neighbors reported the homeless people possibly living in the back of the home, where the fire appeared to have originated.

A fire investigator was on scene to sift through clues on what started the fire, Fulmer said.

About 29 firefighters responded with a total of eight fire engines.

A second house fire was reported Wednesday at Olive Avenue and Mariposa Street in central Fresno. Fulmer said that fire started in the basement of a home but it was quickly put out.

This story was originally published July 4, 2018 at 2:09 PM.