EL CAJON, Calif. (KGTV) – A fire that destroyed an empty house and came dangerously close to an apartment complex in an El Cajon neighborhood Friday morning is being investigated as a possible arson.
El Cajon Fire Department crews were called to the 500 block of Ballantyne Street at around 4:05 a.m. due to a reported fire that erupted at a home.
Firefighters arrived as the fire engulfed the house and a detached garage. Flames also burned down part of a fence and scorched an apartment building next door, but crews were able to stop the fire within 25 minutes before it spread any further.
No one was inside the home at the time of the blaze and no injuries were reported.
El Cajon Police told ABC 10News a person who was staying at the home was served with an eviction notice by the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department earlier this week.
The person was removed from the home, but police confirmed that same person was arrested Thursday night on suspicion of trespassing on the property. The person has had multiple run-ins with police in the past.
Police said the person, who was processed and released, is not considered a suspect in the fire.
The arson investigation will be conducted by the sheriff’s department and Bomb/Arson Unit, police said. No further information on the probe was released.
Several residents told ABC 10News that they have noticed suspicious activity at the home over the last two years. Some said the suspicious activity has increased in the past few months.
One neighbor described incidents in which people at the home were heard screaming, bricks were thrown, and small bonfires were set on the property.
