Fire destroys abandoned Ceres home

Authorities say a suspicious fire destroyed an abandoned home early Sunday in Ceres. Firefighters were dispatched at 3:09 a.m. to a fire in the 2800 block of Service Road, said Ceres Battalion Chief Michael Lillie.

He said the home is in the southeast corner of where Service Road crosses Highway 99. There is a second abandoned home on the property, but it was not damaged.

Lillie said the homes have been abandoned for about six months as part of a project to eventually put in an interchange at the highway. He said the abandoned homes have attracted squatters in the past. He said because the gas and electricity were recently turned off at the homes, the fire is considered suspicious and under investigation.

Lillie said city workers came out later to knock down three of the home’s walls because they posed a safety hazard.

This story was originally published August 30, 2015 at 4:20 PM with the headline "Fire destroys abandoned Ceres home."