Investigators Probe Suspicious Santa Maria House Fire

Santa Maria Fire investigators say they believe an early morning fire at a home on the 1100 block of College Drive is suspicious but they are not yet prepared to say why.

The fire Thursday morning spread quickly in the house that neighbors say has been vacant for months.

By the time firefighters arrived the flames had spread from the garage area causing major damage to the home.

Four Santa Maria Fire Department engine companies and one Aerial Truck Company responded to the fire.

Anyone who was inside the home at the time was able to get out without injury.

Neighbors we spoke with say the vacant home is known among the homeless for squatting.

“They discovered that that place is empty”, one neighbor says, “nobody goes there, so they go there for shelter or whatever.”

Investigators have not yet revealed where or how the fire started in the home.