Two-alarm fire burns commercial building near highways 180 and 41

Fresno firefighers battled a two-alarm blaze early Monday morning near highways 180 and 41.

The fire was reported about 7:30 a.m. in the area of East Belmont Avenue and North Mariposa Street, near Tehipite Middle School.

It began on the second floor of a vacant commercial building on Belmont, though a cause was not immediately available.

Crews responded aggressively after hearing reports of a homeless person potentially trapped inside, but a search of the building yielded no results, according to battalion chief William Veiga.

Firefighters contained the blaze on the second floor of the building within about an hour, though the operation was complicated by the fact that the second story was accessible only from an alley.

Seven fire engines responded to the fire, Veiga said, briefly shutting down traffic on Belmont Avenue.

This story was originally published February 25, 2019 at 9:46 AM.