By Louis Galvan
The Fresno Bee
Copyright 2007 McClatchy Newspapers, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
FRESNO, Calif. — A Fresno man who allegedly set fire to his apartment during a fight with his girlfriend was being sought Tuesday on suspicion of arson. No one was hurt in the fire.
Fresno Fire Department investigators said the suspect, Michael Ray Adkins, 30, fled on foot after the 7:30 a.m. fire, but he is believed to be hiding in the Fresno area.
The fire was reported at 337 N. San Pablo Ave. between McKenzie and Belmont avenues in central Fresno.
Investigators said the fire was set in an upstairs apartment of a four-unit complex, where Adkins reportedly had been living with his girlfriend.
The blaze caused major fire damage to the apartment and water and other damage to an apartment directly below. Seven adults and three children were left homeless. Red Cross volunteers were summoned to the scene to help the victims with emergency shelter and other needs.
Fresno Fire Chief Randy Bruegman said firefighters were at the scene in about four minutes and were able to keep the fire from spreading to the rest of the complex.
A next-door neighbor, Anitra Acuna, 20, said she was getting ready to go to work when she heard a woman outside banging on doors at the apartment complex and screaming at people to get out.
Acuna said she looked out a window and saw flames shooting from the upstairs apartment. She called 911 to report the blaze.
Another resident in the neighborhood, Robin Freese, 46, said she was outside her home smoking a cigarette when she saw a woman on the street chasing after a man and cursing at him. She said the man ran south on San Pablo.
Freese said that is when she noticed smoke and fire coming from the apartment complex. Freese yelled at her roommate to call 911.