SAN DIEGO — Firefighters worked late Monday night to access a long-vacant commercial building at 1323 6th Avenue after reports of smoke drifting from the upper floors. The three-story property, which has been abandoned since 2008 and formally red-tagged by the city, had light smoke showing but no visible flames when San Diego Fire-Rescue units arrived just before midnight.
To get inside, crews cut through heavy-gauge steel at the back of the structure and set ladders to reach second-floor openings. A locked gate blocked parking lot access, forcing crews to work around the obstacle. Once inside, firefighters noted signs that people experiencing homelessness had been using the building. In one firefighters words, it was “disgusting”.
Multiple fire companies, including Engines 1, 2, 4, and 201, Trucks 1 and 11, and Battalion Chiefs 1 and 2, responded alongside Medic 85. Police provided limited traffic control on the relatively quiet downtown street.
No injuries were reported, and investigators are still working to determine the cause. The building remains unsafe and red-tagged.
