A vacant Carl’s Jr. building owned by the city of Fresno was destroyed by a fire late Wednesday night, fire officials said.

The first report came in at 6:09 p.m. for the building at 1611 N. Blackstone Ave., a busy area near Fresno City College with heavy traffic, according to the Fresno Fire Department.

Engine 5 arrived to find heavy smoke and immediately began firefighting efforts. About 13 minutes into the incident, crews were pulled from inside the building to a defensive position as the fire intensified, fire officials told GV Wire.

A total of 56 firefighters responded to the blaze. Two sustained minor injuries — one with a knee injury and another with a burn, the department said. Firewatch continued overnight, and the building was declared a total loss.

Fresno fire officials said the site is known for homeless activity and that crews have previously responded to warming fires there. However, they could not confirm if the fire was intentionally set. Debris and flooding from the fire affected nearby streets, prompting the department to contact city crews for cleanup.

Authorities also responded to another fire Wednesday at a vacant, boarded-up home at 1106 W. Dakota Ave.

The city of Fresno owned the Carl’s Jr., a city official confirmed to GV Wire. The city bought properties around Blackstone and McKinley avenues for a grade separation project to eliminate delays caused by trains and improve pedestrian safety at the heavily traveled intersection. 

Fresno City Manager Addresses Next Steps

At a Thursday morning Fresno City Council meeting, City Manager Georgeanne White said the city opened bids for the demolition of the vacant Carl’s Jr. building on Jan. 20, but the process is now on hold. She said that they were going to bring the bids to a February council meeting for approval.

White said many unhoused individuals had broken into the vacant building, prompting the city to repeatedly board it up. She highlighted ongoing partnerships between the Fresno Police and Fire departments to address warming fires, and noted that city-run warming centers aim to prevent such fires across Fresno.

The city manager added that a fence will be installed around the property on Thursday morning and that the demolition contract cannot be awarded at this time because the site now contains hazardous materials.

(GV Wire’s David Taub contributed to this story)

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