Monday, Aug. 20, 2012

Abandoned home destroyed

No one injured in fire

Items left behind by the homeless led to an abandoned home being destroyed in a fire over the weekend.

Fire Chief Chet Guintini said his department responded to a home on the 800 block of E. Street at 12:30 p.m. Sunday.

“A neighbor had went through the home to make sure no one was inside. It (the fire) was going pretty good when we got there,” Guintini said.

He said the blaze originated from a shopping cart full of clothing. The cart was found in the home’s kitchen area.

Guintini said half of the roof had burned away by the time his staff arrived. He said the blaze spread quickly because the home was stripped of sheet rock and copper wiring, allowing faster access to the home’s wooden frame.

Three engines and a ladder truck were used to combat the fire.

Guintini said homeless people have broken into the home on a regular basis, despite it being boarded up frequently.

He said the home’s owner does live in Los Banos and was made aware that the property had become a haven for the homeless.