Investigation continues into fire that destroys portion of Manteca apartment complex

An investigation continued Monday into the four-alarm fire that destroyed a third of the 164-unit apartment complex under construction in Manteca .

The Sunday morning blaze at the Tesoro Apartments at Van Ryn Avenue and East Atherton Drive, just south of Highway 120, is being called the most destructive fire in the city's history, according to the Manteca Bulletin.

No injuries were reported.

The three buildings that were destroyed — there were nine under construction — were the nearest to completion.

The $30 million project has been plagued with issues tied to the homeless and gangs, developer Mike Atheron told the newspaper.

There was no report of the fire's cause on Monday.

Several agencies were involved in fighting the blaze, including one from Ripon.

The flames — as high as 50 feet, according to some estimates — touched off a series of accidents on Highway 120, according to the newspaper.

A watchman living on the property in a trailer alerted authorities to the fire, which began just before 9 a.m.

This story was originally published April 15, 2018 at 6:32 PM with the headline "Investigation continues into fire that destroys portion of Manteca apartment complex."