Friday, Dec. 30, 2011

Fire claims life of homeless man

Body found after firefighters put out blaze in vacant building

A homeless man died two days before Christmas in a fire at a former commercial business, a fire official said.

Fire Chief Chet Guintini said an unidentified man was found dead after firefighters put out a two-alarm blaze at a vacant building Friday.

Firefighters responded to the intersection of F Street and Santa Rita Avenue at 9:44 p.m. and discovered a structure engulfed in flames that used to be the location of an autobody shop and later a plant nursery.

"We've been there numerous times," Guintini said. "We try to keep the homeless people out."

Guintini said firefighters were at the location about 20 minutes before the fire that led to the fatality. He said a homeless woman had started a small fire and the flames caught some nearby clothing items.

"Our guys went in and made sure that fire was out and everything was safe," Guintini said.

He said the woman could not have started the second blaze because police had placed her under arrest before fire personnel left the scene.

Cmdr. Ray Reyna Jr. of the Los Banos Police Department said the woman, Sarah Candelaria, 30, was arrested for outstanding warrants.

Guintini said what started the second fire remains under investigation.

The Merced County Coroner's Office conducted an autopsy Tuesday. They have not released the identity of the fire victim.

A handful of homeless people have been involved in structure fires in vacant buildings around town this year. Guintini said code enforcement tries to encourage the homeless to use warming shelters during the winter and not to start fires larger than what may be needed for cooking. He also said the fire department has asked police to watch for homeless people trying to enter abandoned buildings.