Several neighbors in University Heights walked out their front doors to find several law enforcement vehicles and first responders Friday morning.
"I started hearing the sirens, you know-- it was like 10 cop cars, a bunch of fire trucks within like a few minutes," says Eric Hyman, who has lived in the area for about five years.
Crews were working to put out a fire inside an abandoned home on Georgia Street at 11:50am. San Diego Fire & Rescue says the fire was knocked down in roughly 15 minutes, and no one was injured. An investigation is underway to find out what started the fire.
Multiple neighbors tell ABC 10News this isn't the first time a fire has erupted inside that home. Among them was David Brown, who has lived in the area since 1985.
"The fire department's been called at least 3 or 4 times in the past 6 months or so due to squatters," Brown says. "And there's been numerous police visits since the property's been sold to the to the current developer I guess, but even before then it's had a history of being a problem child in the neighborhood."
A problem that more and more residents are noticing.
"I can see into the yard from my property, so I can see there's like people coming in and out here and there," Hyman tells me.
Despite things put up to keep people out, neighbors say it just isn't enough. Mike Driscoll has lived in the neighborhood since 1999.
"They keep coming and fixing the fence to keep the vagrants out, but that doesn't stop them," Driscoll explains. "They go in there, they collect a lot of junk and it piles up in the bed. They had like 4 or 5 truckloads of stuff go out of there when they started clearing the place. But then they filled it up quickly again you know?"
A bright red sign is now in place to steer people away from the home, while neighbors demand answers.
"Everybody's just wondering when they're gonna tear it down. It's been fenced off for like 1-2 years now," Driscoll says.
We have reached out to the city for comment on a demolition permit and are waiting to hear back.
