By Kristina Davis and Caleb Lunetta / San Diego Union-Tribune/ March 13, 2025
A fire destroyed an abandoned building in Liberty Station Wednesday night, and investigators were working to determine the cause.
The blaze was reported around 8:35 p.m. on Cushing Road near Roosevelt Road in a 6,000-square-foot building that had previously been used as a recreation center, San Diego-Fire Rescue officials said.
When firefighters arrived, they saw flames as high as 40 feet coming from the structure, Battalion Chief Chris Babler told media at the scene. Firefighters made an initial push inside the building but were only able to search about 30% of it before the rain-heavy roof and extreme fire conditions prompted the building to show signs of collapse, Babler said.
A second-alarm response was requested, and more than 100 firefighters were assigned to the incident at one point.
The blaze sent a large plume of smoke over Point Loma.
The cause of the fire was not immediately known. No injuries had been reported as of 9:30 p.m.
Some buildings at the former U.S. Navy training facility date back to the 1920s. Much of the property has been redeveloped in recent years, although several vacant buildings remain.
Officials said the abandoned building was a known fire risk; crews had responded to a blaze there about six months ago. A fence was installed around the building after that to keep people out.
“We know people seek shelter here for cold weather and rain,” Babler told Sideo.TV. “We also know kids come here to play and vandalize the building — that was well documented by the San Diego Police Department and Harbor PD.”
