Fire damages building next to Arrow Inn on South Ninth Street

A fire on Friday afternoon at a former restaurant next to the Arrow Inn on South Ninth destroyed the other half of the building that previously burned.

The building, which has been vacant for years, has burned at least once in the past, said Ceres Fire Department Captain Mike Miller. The last fire left a large hole in the south side of the building and the owner has been working with insurance to get it get it torn down, he said.

Transients have been squatting in the building, which the motel owner was using to store furniture for the motel like mattresses and dressers.

The fire on Friday destroyed contents on the north side of the building and damaged much of the structure.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

This story was originally published January 13, 2017 at 5:48 PM with the headline "Fire damages building next to Arrow Inn on South Ninth Street."