LA MESA, Calif. (KGTV) — LA MESA, Calif. (KGTV) – Residents in a La Mesa neighborhood woke up to a fire ripping through a housing complex early Thursday morning.
Heartland Fire & Rescue crews were called to the 4900 block of Clearview Way at around 7 a.m. after a blaze ignited at a building that some area residents said was a well-known eyesore.
At one point, the fire was elevated to a two-alarm status, prompting firefighters to call for additional crews.
It took firefighters about an hour to finally knock down the flames.
“Trucks coming, sirens were wailing. I could see the smoke was going really high up into the sky,” said Duane Ivey, who lives down the street.
Ivey was in bed when he heard sirens blaring and trucks speeding down the street. He said the smell of smoke filled his house.
“With the embers, my concern was that our house would catch on fire,” said Ivey. “You can look at the cars. The cars all down the block have ash on them. My house has ash around it. Big concern.”
Several residents said they’re used to seeing squatters at the structure, despite the city condemning the building and putting a fence around it.
“The house has just been abandoned. It's probably about time it was going to catch fire,” said Robert Montell, who lives nearby. “People in and out all the time.”
Now, some neighbors say they want the problem building gone for good.
“I believe the city should level it. Make it flat, get rid of it,” said Ivey. “Otherwise, we'll probably get more squatters.”
Heartland officials said they’re still investigating what caused the fire, but they say no one was injured and no other homes were damaged.
