Building in downtown Fresno completely destroyed in fire. It’s been burned before

A building in downtown Fresno was completely burned Friday evening, and it was not the first time the structure had caught on fire.

Fresno Fire Department crews didn’t have to go far to respond to the fire with a station located across the street from the incident, which started around 6:15 p.m. in the 1200 block of E Street.

When the first unit arrived, flames had already engulfed much of the building, according to Battalion Chief Dan O’Meara.

After crews confirmed that no people were inside the building, firefighters tried to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading.

A nearby Rally’s fast food restaurant did not appear to have been damaged by the flames next door.

O’Meara said the building, which is owned by Fresno County, was vacant and boarded up with fencing around the property.

Still, it caught on fire previously because of the homeless situation nearby, O’Meara said. And the battalion chief hinted that Friday’s fire might’ve been caused once again from someone in a nearby homeless encampment.

The building already lacked electrical or gas connections because of past fires.

Making matters all the more challenging for fire crews was Friday’s daily temperature that soared around 100 degrees.

E Street and Fresno Street were blocked in four directions for more than two hours.

This story was originally published June 10, 2022 at 10:53 PM.