Several lanes of traffic at Sunrise Boulevard and Oak Avenue in Citrus Heights were partially blocked off around noon Thursday as emergency crews responded to the scene of a house fire on the west side of the intersection.
Metro Fire reported that firefighters encountered “heavy fire conditions” upon arrival, with flames extending into the attic of the aging, two-story home. Fire Captain Chris Vestal told The Sentinel the blaze was reported around 11:40 a.m. and confirmed that no one was inside.
Asked whether the fire is considered suspicious, the captain said investigators were “still collecting and reviewing scene info,” as of 7 p.m. Thursday. He said traffic lanes were closed down until at least 1 p.m. to allow emergency crews to have space to operate safely.
In a Tweet Thursday afternoon, Metro Fire reported a property damage estimate of $100,000, with an additional loss of about $5,000 in personal belongings.
Property records indicate the three-quarter acre property where the fire occurred is owned by Sunrise Place, LLC, which lists a purpose to “acquire and develop land located on Sunrise Boulevard” on incorporation documents. Little else about the company is available in public records, but the LLC is currently listed as having “suspended” status with the Franchise Tax Board, after incorporating in 2004.
June 17 update: Captain Vestal later told The Sentinel that an update on the fire’s cause would not be available until at least Wednesday, due to investigators being occupied with other fires around the county.
