Fire damages Calexico business

Neighbor says homeless may have sparked the blaze

CALEXICO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - A fire leaves a Calexico business seriously damaged. Now firefighters are trying to figure out how it started.

The fire broke out around eight Thursday night on California Court near Camacho Road. Edgar Herrero, who owns a business in the area, told CBS 13's Alexandra Rangel it started in a vacant lot.

“It caught on fire on the side. Right now with the wind they’re just trying to put it out." said Herroro.

The flames started with some dry palm treems, then spread to a building owned by the Coppel Corporation. The fire did significant damage to the backside of the structure, but the Calexico Fire Department doused flames before they destroyed it.

Firefighters still don't know how the fire started, but Herroro says neighbors have had issues recently with homeless people trespassing and camping in the vacant lot.

"They’ve been coming in. we try to keep them away, but they keep coming back and this is what they cause, just disaster.” he said.

Firefighters will inspect the Coppel building to make sure it didn't sustain any structural damage in the blaze.