Spectacular Blaze Near SDSU Causes $3.5 Million in Damage to 2 Buildings

One of the brightest fires in San Diego’s recent history erupted near San Diego State University early Thursday morning, engulfing a three-story building, scorching a motel and causing $3.5 million in damage, firefighters said.

Nobody was injured in the blaze, said San Diego Fire Department Capt. Al Macdonald. The department called the blaze suspicious.

“This is probably one of the most spectacular fires that we’ve had in a number of years,” Macdonald said.

Firefighters arrived in the 6200 block of El Cajon Boulevard just after 12:30 a.m. to find a retail-residential building that was undergoing extensive renovation engulfed in flames, Macdonald said. The fire quickly escalated into a four-alarm emergency requiring help from the La Mesa and El Cajon fire departments.

Two San Diego police officers on patrol reported the fire and immediatedly began evacuating guests from the Hitching Post Motel next door. More than 53 guests were moved to a nearby motel.

Flames shot 150 feet into the stormy night sky as glowing embers, buoyed by the tremendous heat, rained down on the neighborhood. The blaze could be seen from more than 20 miles away in Crest, a mountain community east of El Cajon.

Firefighters said they were grateful for the rain, which had wet down rooftops.

“That was one blessing that we did have,” Macdonald said. “If it was as dry as it had been in the past few days, we would have had some serious problems.”

It took 102 firefighters just over an hour to bring the fire under control, he said.

The building, owned by San Diego-based Jackson & Associates, a financially troubled real estate development company, had been vacant for the past year, said Fire Department spokeswoman Jennifer Simpson. It was being remodeled to house offices and residential units on the first floor.

Contractors working on the building estimated damage at $3.2 million, based on how much it would cost to reconstruct the 160,000-square-foot building.

Damage to the motel was estimated at $300,000, caused by heat radiating from the fire, Macdonald said.

As firefighters picked through the debris of the building, two arson fires broke out within two blocks of the main fire, Macdonald said, causing about $6,000 in damage. An acid was released in one, requiring assistance from the county’s hazardous materials team, he said.