Vacant house in East Hollywood burns for third time, raising concerns among city leaders

A vacant house in East Los Angeles caught fire again early Friday morning, for at least the third time, raising concerns among city leaders and residents.

According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, the fire was reported just after 1:30 a.m. at a Craftsman home in the 4800 block of W. Melrose Avenue.

When emergency crews arrived, they found the home engulfed in flames and it took nearly an hour to extinguish them. Videos from the crime scene show large flames bursting through the roof of the two-story house and a large cloud of black smoke rising above it.

Although no injuries were reported, firefighters told KCAL News this is far from the first time the home has caught fire.

It was so annoying in the recent past that the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety had already presented the property to their Board of Commissioners as a nuisance and wanted to speak to the owner about the issues they were dealing with with what they were dealing with Call vagrants and vandals.

They claim that the property, which also has a detached garage, is home to gang members and other crimes that need to be secured because it has been repeatedly trespassed upon.

KCAL News has not yet been able to contact the owner of the property, who is doing business as an LLC.