Arson suspected in Oakland house fire

OAKLAND, Calif. (BCN) - Fire investigators think arson may be the cause of a two-alarm fire that destroyed a two-story abandoned house Sunday evening in East Oakland, a fire battalion chief said.

The fire was first reported at 7:40 p.m. at 47th Avenue and Foothill Boulevard.

Firefighters arrived to find the back of the house and the roof in flames and they made their main objective to protect the homes on either side, fire Battalion Chief James Bowron said.

The fire burned quickly because it burned charred materials from a previous fire. Investigators suspect arson because this was the second time the house has caught fire and neighbors have noticed possible homeless
residents come and go from the house, Bowron said.

But this may be the last time.

"The building is going to need to be demolished," because so much damage was done, Bowron said.

Firefighters kept the fire from doing significant damage to the home on the left, so the residents were not displaced. The fire caused some damage to that home, which was boarded up because it's under repair from the previous fire.

No one was injured, Bowron said.