EL CAJON, Calif. (KGTV) — Smoke and ash filled the sky as an El Cajon neighborhood watched a home burn for the second time in 16 months. The fire broke out around 7:30 a.m. Wednesday on Anza Street in unincorporated El Cajon.

Firefighters returned to the home where three people died in a house fire in April 2023.

This time, no one was injured. The San Diego Sheriff’s Department arrested a man who witnesses saw leaving the house after the fire broke out.

Since the last fire, the house has been sold and the new owner says he was supposed to have it demolished in a few weeks. But then, on Wednesday morning, he received calls from neighbors telling him it was on fire.

San Miguel firefighters arrived shortly afterward. “They were there immediately and it spread so quickly. It was unbelievable,” neighbor David Taylor told ABC 10 News.

Taylor knew the three people who had lived in the house before the first fire.

The house is now owned by Ryan Mikha and his company New Vision Building and Design. He had planned to have the gas line disconnected this week after months of delays.

“We should have the certificate from SDGE by the end of this week and bring it to the demo before the end of the month,” said Mihka. Mihka added that the process was delayed by 6 months and during that time he had to constantly throw out people from the home who tried to stay there without permission.

“We bought it in November last year. A woman in my neighborhood called the sheriff several times,” he said.

ABC 10News made multiple calls and messages to the San Diego Sheriff’s Department on Wednesday to find out how many times officers were called to the building. ABC 10News also asked the Sheriff’s Department about the outcome of the initial fire investigation. The agency did not provide any information.

The house has now been fenced off after it burned down for the second time.

Now, emergency crews will begin another fire investigation on Anza Street.

“God, it’s a shame,” Taylor said.