Bright orange flames were shooting out of the roof of an abandoned building in San Jose early Friday morning.
San Jose firefighters were called to an uninhabited building in the 700 block of W. San Carlos Street in downtown San Jose around 2:23 a.m. Officials said there were transients inside the building when the fire started but no one was injured.
Firefighters tried to keep the flames from spreading to a nearby townhouse development. They eventually put out the flames a few hours later. The building appeared to be a total loss, according to fire officials.
Battalion Chief Dave Ennes said at least two fires previously occurred at the location.
Officials are investigating the cause of the fire.
Fiona Cantando works across the street from the abandoned building at One Republic Fitness. She said she hopes officials tear down the building because of the drug activity she says occur inside.
"Pretty much any business owner around here just want the place torn down. It's been a problem. We have all these people walking by all day long," Cantando told NBC Bay Area.
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Cantando said she was there when another fire broke out at the same location around six months ago.
"It's not fun to be here late at night and having these people yelling at your door, screaming at me and making me uncomfortable," she said.
