A fire burned the recently vacant Carl’s Jr. by Fresno City College near McKinley and Blackstone Avenues on Wednesday. No major injuries were reported.
Calls reported smoke and flames coming from the Carl’s Jr. around 6 p.m.
Fresno Fire Department Battalion Chief Kirk Wanless was among the responders to the scene. He said they were aware the building was vacant, but worked to save the structure until it became unsafe for firefighters to be inside the building.
“It became pretty apparent to us fairly quickly that it was not tenable for us firefighters to be in there, and there was no real game in saving this structure,” Wanless said.
One firefighter was reported to have received a minor injury, but they are expected to be okay.
Firefighters watch as they continuously cool down the Carl’s Jr. building near McKinley and Blackstone Avenues on Jan. 28 (Photo by: Katrina Saldivar)
The exact cause of the fire is still unknown, but Wanless believed it was caused by human activity
“Whether it is intentional or malicious or how they did it, it’s hard to say,” Wanless said.
The Carl’s Jr. building and nearby Taco Bell were purchased by the city in order to make way for a new vehicle underpass beneath the BSNF railroad tracks.
Wanless said he and his team attempted to save the building, but the flames were too strong.
Yellow tape blocking off the burned Carl’s Jr. on Blackstone and McKinley Avenue after a fire erupted on Jan. 28. (Photo by: Katrina Saldivar)