Arson investigators are treating a fire that destroyed the former InCahoots building in Mission Valley on Christmas Day as having occurred under “suspicious” circumstances, officials said Thursday.
The fire was the second suspicious blaze in the last three months to damage the building located on Mission Center Road near Hazard Center Drive, according to the city’s Metro Arson Strike Team.
Wednesday’s fire was reported around 10 a.m. Hours later, San Diego Fire-Rescue Department officials said the fire was fully contained, and the building was completely destroyed.
No injuries were reported.
The vacant building first caught fire in 2020, about a year after the country western saloon closed and the building was sold for $3.7 million.
It has remained vacant since then, with bar signage still present on the outside.
The second fire was reported on Oct 26. Flames and dark smoke billowed out of the windows and roof. At one point, flames could be seen reaching about 30 feet into the air.
Fire officials have previously reported that the abandoned building had attracted squatters and that they had received reports of numerous homeless people living in or around it.
