Fireplace blaze erupts into Fresno home. Firefighters say homeless person may have caused it

A fire in southeast Fresno Tuesday heavily damaged a home at Rowell and Iowa avenues after a homeless man allowed a warming blaze in the fireplace to go out of control, the fire department reported.

The blaze was called in about noon. No one was injured, and the amount of damage was being assessed.

Fire spokesman Jonathan Lopez said that the suspect had built a large fire in the fireplace and then went to take a shower. While he was enjoying the shower, the fire somehow jumped onto the floor of the home and began spreading.

Arriving firefighters rescued the man as they fought the fire, but at some point, the man ran from the scene and is at large.

This story was originally published November 16, 2021 at 1:26 PM.