Two-alarm fire torches big Fresno house

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A two-alarm fire torched a west central Fresno home starting a little after 3 a.m. Sunday.

Firefighters didn't think anyone was inside, but the heavy flames and thick smoke made it too dangerous to go inside and check right away.

"It is secured behind a gate and some trees," said battalion chief Devin McGuire. "So it took a little bit to find it. Once they found it they realized they had a well-involved single-story structure. We immediately went defensive mode on it."

Firefighters found flames covering the 3000-square-foot house and pouring out of the roof, so they attacked it from above with a ladder truck.

They had an arson investigator at the home later in the morning and they tell us the fire was suspicious, but they couldn't elaborate just yet.

The house just sold for about $430,000 in March.