Fresno firefighters had a tough time battling a blaze in the central part of the city Friday morning.
The blaze broke out around 8:40 a.m. at an abandoned home on Effie Street, near Belmont and Blackstone.
Alonzo Rodriguez was at the gas station next door when he saw the smoke and called 911. He then knocked on the door and windows to make sure no one was inside and said a homeless man ran out. "He was sleeping, that's all. I guess his lucky day I was around," said Rodriguez.
Koby Johns with the Fresno Fire Department said, "This was a difficult fire for us. Our first crews went up to the second story and they encountered intense heat. They had to back out and wait for the truck company to provide appropriate ventilation. The roof failed about 13 minutes into this fire."
The cause of the fire is under investigation.