San Diego firefighters battled an intense fire in a vacant two-story commercial building in Serra Mesa early Sunday, calling in reinforcements before gaining the upper hand and dousing the flames, authorities said.
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The three-alarm fire was reported shortly after midnight at Gramercy Drive near Ruffin Road at the building, which was named the Guild, officials said.
When firefighters arrived they found the building engulfed in heavy fire. Crews initially entered the building, but after assessing conditions they switched to a defensive position because of “the instability of the fully-involved structure,” a San Diego Fire-Rescue spokesperson said.
The fire was upgraded to a second alarm at 12:12 a.m. and a third alarm about 27 minutes later, said spokesperson Candace Hadley.
Crews fought the fire from the exterior, using ladder pipes to send water onto flames and focusing on keeping the fire from spreading to adjacent structures.
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There were multiple collapses within the building, Hadley said, prompting crews to take a “strategic tacttical pause” for a spell. The fire was knocked down just before sunrise, and crews remained at the property until around 11:20 a.m, doing mop up operations and ensuring all hot spots were extinguished.
According to San Diego police, no evacuations were necessary and officers provided traffic control in the area as firefighters worked.
No injuries were reported.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.
People commenting on social media said the building had been vacant for several years, had housed various businesses and that it was often used by homeless people.
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