Vacant homes destroyed by fire in Parlier

PARLIER, Calif. (KFSN) -- A vacant home went up in flames overnight in Fresno County. The fire broke out just before midnight on Merced and J Street in Parlier.

Police were the first to arrive and evacuated nearby residents in the area. When firefighters arrived, the home was engulfed in flames.

Cal Fire Battalion Chief Dennis Smith said, "The structure was so well involved with fire that the first arriving units got here-- for our firefighters' safety, it's not worth putting anyone inside and endangering them. We'd rather protect the structures on either side and save the structures of value."

The abandoned home had sustained fire damage once before. The cause of the fire is under investigation.