Arson is suspected in a fire that started Tuesday morning at a boarded-up home long known as a nuisance house in the South Bay.
The fire started around 6:30 a.m. at 5154 Mariner Dr. in the Ocean View Hills neighborhood, a home that both residents and law enforcement say has been problematic in the past.
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WATCH HEREWhen firefighters arrived, smoke was pouring from the second floor. Crews began an aggressive fire attack from the outside and in, where they found "hoarder conditions" and called in additional crews, according to SDFD battalion chief Josh Slatinsky. Firefighters knocked down the blaze within an hour, but damage was done to two floors, the attic and the roof. No injuries were reported.
The two-story home has been boarded up with wood and metal plates after a City of San Diego abatement team took over the residence three years ago from a woman who created "constant problems with the neighbors and disturbance calls," according to San Diego Police Sgt. George Kenny.
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Investigators suspect arson in the blaze, although no suspects have yet been identified.
"Obviously, MAST knows it was started by somebody," Kenny said. "We don’t know who it was started by, but we’re not even sure how they got inside. They're assuming they might have gotten in through the garage because that’s the only spot – position – that wasn’t secured."
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Carlos Borruel, who moved into the home a few doors down about a year ago, said it's the second time there's been a fire at that property.
The city's abatement team was scheduled to start clearing out the home from "all the stuff inside" on Tuesday, Kenny said. The home is featured on the house-hunting app, Zillow, for $600,000 – cash only – and is listed as pending sale.
Kenny noted the fire had the potential to be worse.
"If the fire got out of control, it would damage other residences and put other people at harm," Kenny said. "Hopefully, after this week, once everything gets cleaned out, it’s no longer gonna be an issue."
