Arson suspected in fire that spread to decades-old Downtown Fresno home

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A suspected arson fire is under investigation in Downtown Fresno. Firefighters rushed to a decades-old two-story home on Poplar Avenue near Voorman Avenue around 10:30 a.m. Saturday.

Crews believe someone started a small vegetation fire that spread to the patio area. It burned part of the roof, but firefighters happened to be nearby, so they were able to save the rest of the house.

"We've got to remind everyone about keeping vegetation cleared away from your houses and the importance of that. This thing got into that house in a matter of minutes; I think we probably had a 3- or 4-minute response time, and it still got into the house that quickly," said Capt. Christian Palmer with the Fresno Fire Department.

Firefighters say witnesses spotted people running from the scene, but they have not been able to identify any suspects at this point. They also say the home is furnished, but it's not clear if anyone is living there right now.