An abandoned building caught fire near the San Diego International Airport Sunday morning and was quickly extinguished by crews.
The San Diego Fire Department put out the blaze on Kettner Boulevard just outside downtown at around 8 a.m.
Firefighters had to cut a hole in the building’s wall to get to the flames, SDFD said.
“They found some fire in the attic, and they stopped that really quick,” said SDFD Battalion Chief Michael Howell.
The damages of the fire were estimated to cost $75,000, according to SDFD.
A portion of Kettner Boulevard was closed for about an hour but has since reopened.
The abandoned building used to be a rental car business. Because the structure is abandoned, firefighters were concerned there might be people living inside.
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“Getting into an abandoned building is very difficult, and the first thing they’re thinking in an abandoned building is transients, so they’re worried about rescuing them,” Howell told NBC 7.
SDFD said it does appear that transients lived in the building, but no one was there when firefighters arrived.
The exact cause of the fire is still under investigation.
