Third fire in three weeks draws firefighters back to central Fresno

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Firefighters responded aboriginal Friday to a commercialized gathering occurrence successful cardinal Fresno, the 3rd occurrence successful little than 3 weeks successful the aforesaid area, according to Fresno occurrence officials.

Crews were called to the country astatine 4:14 a.m. aft reports of airy fume showing from the eaves of the A&T Ceramic Tile building.

Firefighters encountered a downed powerfulness enactment successful an alley but were capable to marque introduction and extinguish a tiny occurrence wrong the structure.

One sprinkler caput activated and helped support the occurrence successful check, occurrence officials said. Combustible materials wrong the tile shop, including cardboard and wood, were a concern, though overmuch of the worldly successful the gathering was tile. No injuries were reported.

The latest occurrence follows 2 others adjacent successful caller weeks.

Two weeks ago, a vacant Carl's Jr. astatine Blackstone and McKinley went up successful flames, drafting astir 3 twelve firefighters who worked done the nighttime to guarantee the occurrence was afloat extinguished.

Last weekend, the erstwhile Star Stucco Products gathering ignited and yet collapsed.

All 3 fires stay nether investigation.

Because of the repeated incidents, questions person been raised astir whether the fires are suspicious.

Fresno Fire Deputy Chief Devin McGuire said investigators are examining each possibilities.

"You cognize what it's hard to say, each incidental is unsocial and specific," McGuire said. "We're looking astatine each imaginable avenue into these fires. Our investigators are moving diligently effort and find a cause. The situation is we person immoderate vacant properties that creates immoderate challenges."

The affected buildings are among astatine slightest 17 vacant properties controlled by the city. Officials purchased immoderate and took others done eminent domain up of a large task to reroute railroad crossings.

Fresno constabulary person accrued patrols and are monitoring the vacant sites, though the metropolis continues to acquisition break-ins.

On Wednesday, Action News spoke with Art Terzian, who runs A&T Ceramic Tile with his son, Tony. Terzian said helium feared thing similar this would hap and that a occurrence astatine the spot would beryllium devastating.

"I'm reasoning I'm going to beryllium next," Art Terzian told Action News.

"This is our inventory, our livelihood," Tony said. "We spent a beingness gathering this up."

The Terzians are battling the metropolis successful tribunal and said 2,900 pallets of tile stay wrong the gathering aft City Hall took power of the property. A proceedings is acceptable for the fall.

PG&E was called to the country due to the fact that of the downed powerfulness line, and codification enforcement is expected to instrumentality to resecure the building.