A vacant meat market in Escondido consumed by raging flames Thursday is now the site of a criminal investigation.
On Friday, one day after the blaze ripped through the vacant Talone’s Meat Market in the 500 block of North Hale Avenue, firefighters remained posted around the perimeter of the burnt building, hosing down hot spots and surveying the heavy damage.
The fire sparked Thursday just before 9 a.m., sending plumes of thick smoke into the air visible for hours along freeways in San Diego’s North County, including nearby Interstate 15.
At its peak, about 100 firefighters battled the flames of the four-alarm fire, which shot through the roof of the abandoned building, causing parts of the roof to collapse. Parts of the old, dilapidated building crumbled under the intense heat as crews defensively fought the fire from the outside.
Due to the severe damage to the structure, fire officials were not able to safely enter the building, the Escondido Fire Department (EFD) said. Crews worked through the night making sure the blaze did not reignite.
On Friday, investigators were still waiting to get clearance to enter the approximately 10,000-square-foot building. Some parts of the structure were leaning from the fire damage and some walls had collaped.
The inside of the structure was gutted and firefighters said it was not safe, at this point, for anyone to go inside.
Due to safety concerns, the EFD has issued an emergency demolition permit to the property owner. The demolition work on the building will begin Tuesday, the EFD said. For now, the fire department said people should stay away from the unstable structure.
The investigation is ongoing and officials have not yet revealed details on why the site of the fire a crime scene. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
Talone’s Meat Market has long been abandoned. According to residents, police and fire officials, the building is known to be frequented by transients.
The Escondido Police Department (EPD) confirmed that, since April, there have been extra patrols around the abandoned building. Days before the blaze, police received a report of someone trespassing at the building but when officers arrived at the property, they did not find any trespassers. The EPD said the property management company that owns the building had asked police for help managing the homeless problem at the building. The property management company said it planned to demolish the meat market in the next few months.
When the fire broke out Thursday, the EFD received reports that there may have been transients inside the building.
However, since crews were unable to enter the fire-torn building due to concerns over the safety of the collapsing structure, fire officials have not been able to confirm if anyone was inside.
However, EFD Fire Chief Russ Knowles said Thursday that investigators did not believe this was the case.
According to Knowles, the fire proved challenging for crews due to the unkempt condition of the building, its odd layout and its location. The building sits directly underneath power lines and very close to the train tracks that run through the area.
The fire prompted the North County Transit District (NCTD) to temporarily halt Sprinter Light Rail train service between the Escondido Transit Center and the Nordahl Station. Train service was delayed until about 3 p.m.
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The EFD said San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E) had to shut down power in the area as a precaution due to the fire's proximity to power lines. The outage impacted some businesses along Hale Avenue between Metcalf Street and Auto Park Way, and from Hale Avenue south to Valley Parkway.
The fire also led to several road closures in the area for the better part of Thursday.
