North Park residents say a home in their neighborhood has been a problem for years, and an overnight fire Monday is just the most recent example of unwanted activity stemming from the property.
San Diego Fire-Rescue responded to a blaze at a home near the intersection of Upas and Dale streets just before 6 a.m. When crews arrived, thick smoke and heavy flames were spewing from the structure, which shared property with three other bungalows, according to SDFD Battalion Chief Joshua Slatinsky.
Neighbors say they were not surprised by the blaze, since they have noticed illicit activity at the property since the spring and believe there are squatters living in the vacant buildings.
“There are reports of some squatters that do live in the structure at this time," Slatinsky said. "We do have videos of people leaving the structure but we are unsure if they are squatters or not.”
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Neighbors told NBC 7 they've reported criminal activity to the city and the San Diego Police Department to no avail. There is an creased concern, they say, due to the kids in the neighborhood.
"It's only a matter of time before something's going to happen and this is the most visible thing," neighbor Andy Laub said. "So if anybody in this block pretends this isn't happening, here you go."
Fire investigators are still looking into the cause of the fire.
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Slatinsky said they will be working with the city's Community Risk Reduction team to close off the property, which was already red-tagged.
