By David Ruiz
druiz@sacbee.com
If 'lightning always strikes twice' and 'good things comes in three,' then a vacant Rancho Cordova motel is proving 'fire favors five.'
The First Value Inn at 10271 Folsom Boulevard caught fire Monday for the fifth time in two years according to a Sacramento Metropolitan Fire press release.
At 1:34 P.M. Sacramento Metro firefighters responded to reports of thick smoke coming from the Rancho Cordova motel. When the crew arrived, they found the vacant motel with a fire on the first floor and temporary fencing surrounding it, the release said.
Upon arrival, firefighters were also told by several witnesses that people had fled from inside the building. After a search, the release said no victims were found inside the building.
The fire affected a portion of the building that had already caught fire earlier this year, the release said.
Metro Fire Battalion Chief Chris Siler said in the release that "abandoned buildings are frequented by homeless persons who start fires for cooking and warmth because no electricity or natural gas is available." He said these types of buildings are "extremely difficult to properly secure and pose a significant danger to human life."
The fire is currently considered "suspicious" and under investigation by arson officials, the release said.
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