Sacramento vacant home destroyed in 'suspicious' fire

THE SLOW GOING AND SOME OF THE ISSUES DRIVERS ARE STILL FACING, BUT WE START WITH BREAKING NEWS OUT OF SACRAMENTO THIS MORNING, WHERE FIRE CREWS ARE LOOKING INTO WHAT CAUSED A FIRE THAT HAS DESTROYED A HOME. THIS IS NEAR MARINA GLEN, WAY OFF GARDEN HIGHWAY IN THE WILLOW CREEK AREA. CREWS GOT THE CALL HERE ABOUT AN HOUR AGO. OUR MELANIE WINGO JOINS US LIVE FROM THE SCENE WITH WHAT WE KNOW AT THIS EARLY MORNING HOUR. GOOD MORNING MELANIE. GOOD MORNING. THE FIRST THING TO KNOW IS THIS FIRE IS CONSIDERED SUSPICIOUS BY SACRAMENTO FIRE. WE WANT TO BRING IN JUSTIN SYLVIA RIGHT NOW FROM SACRAMENTO FIRE. WHO’S GOING TO LET US KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED THIS MORNING ABOUT AN HOUR AGO. SO OUR CREWS RESPONDED AROUND 3 A.M. TO A RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURE FOR FIRE. THIS IS KNOWN TO BE A VACANT BUILDING. LOOKS LIKE IT’S A MODULAR HOME. IT’S BEEN VACANT FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. THIS WAS A WELL INVOLVED BUILDING. ALL OF OUR OPERATIONS WERE DEFENSIVE, MEANING THAT WE STAYED ON THE OUTSIDE TO FIGHT THIS FIRE. NO ONE WAS INJURED THAT WE KNOW OF AT THIS POINT. CREWS ARE ON SCENE RIGHT NOW JUST MOPPING THIS UP, MAKING SURE THAT WE EXTINGUISH ALL OF THESE HOT SPOTS THAT YOU SEE BEHIND US. IT DID NOT EXTEND INTO ANY OTHER BUILDINGS OR HOMES. UH, WE’RE LUCKY FOR THAT BECAUSE IT’S IN KIND OF A GRASSY AREA. SO IF IT WAS THE SUMMERTIME, THIS COULD HAVE DEFINITELY SPREAD TO A NEARBY NEIGHBORHOOD. AND FOR RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, YOU’RE CALLING IT SUSPICIOUS. WHY IS IT CONSIDERED SUSPICIOUS? JUST BECAUSE WE KNOW THIS TO BE A VACANT BUILDING, THERE’S NO ELECTRICITY OR GAS SERVICES THAT ARE PROVIDED TO THIS. SO WE CAN KIND OF RULE OUT THOSE CAUSES. AND I MEAN, IT’S 3:00 IN THE MORNING AND THERE’S NO ONE AROUND. SO IT’S IT’S DEFINITELY SUSPICIOUS IN OUR EYES. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME, JUSTIN SILVIO WITH SACRAMENTO FIRE ALSO, JUSTIN TELLS US THAT NO ONE WAS HURT IN TH

Officials are investigating a fire that destroyed a vacant home early Tuesday morning in Sacramento, calling it "suspicious." Firefighters responded to a burning home around 3 a.m. near Marina Glen Way off Garden Highway in the Willow Creek area, said Justin Sylvia with the Sacramento Fire Department.Crews faced dangerous conditions as the structure was fully engulfed in flames when they arrived. Still, they successfully contained the fire before it spread to another building on the property and beyond. "We're lucky for that, because it's in kind of a grassy area," Sylvia said. "So if it was the summertime, this could have definitely spread into a nearby neighborhood."No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is still unknown. Sylvia said electricity and gas can be ruled out because the home had been unoccupied for years and none of those services are being provided to the building. A human cause is a possibility. "It's 3 o'clock in the morning and there's no one around," Sylvia said. "So it's definitely suspicious in our eyes."See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. —

Officials are investigating a fire that destroyed a vacant home early Tuesday morning in Sacramento, calling it "suspicious."

Firefighters responded to a burning home around 3 a.m. near Marina Glen Way off Garden Highway in the Willow Creek area, said Justin Sylvia with the Sacramento Fire Department.

Crews faced dangerous conditions as the structure was fully engulfed in flames when they arrived. Still, they successfully contained the fire before it spread to another building on the property and beyond.

"We're lucky for that, because it's in kind of a grassy area," Sylvia said. "So if it was the summertime, this could have definitely spread into a nearby neighborhood."

No injuries were reported.

Structure Fire: 2000 block of Garden Hwy. Crews arrived to heavy fire from a vacant house. This fire was so far advance upon arrival that defensive operations were taken. Access had to be made from a nearby street. This fire is being investigated as suspicious. No injuries. pic.twitter.com/kXZka6KjlM
— Sacramento Fire Department (@SacFirePIO) March 5, 2024

The cause of the fire is still unknown. Sylvia said electricity and gas can be ruled out because the home had been unoccupied for years and none of those services are being provided to the building.

A human cause is a possibility.

"It's 3 o'clock in the morning and there's no one around," Sylvia said. "So it's definitely suspicious in our eyes."

See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app.

Sacramento vacant home destroyed in 'suspicious' fire

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