A vacant home off Highway 273 south of Redding was destroyed by fire Sunday afternoon, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

While the home, located in the 6900 block of Banigan Road, was unoccupied when the fire broke out, Cal Fire Battalion Chief Jake Keown said transients had been inside the home or had been living there off and on recently.

The fire started around 3 p.m. and firefighters continued to fight the blaze for several hours. Keown said some of the rooms inside the approximately 1,200 square-foot older building were barricaded, making access difficult for firefighters.

Nolan Adams, who lived in the area, also said the building was used by transients. He said homeless people had broken into the house and were using it to live in.

“I believe everybody in the neighborhood is happy that it is gone. That will eliminate all the homeless around in this area momentarily,” he said.

The cause of the fire was still under investigation, Keown said.

Reporter Damon Arthur welcomes story tips at 530-338-8834, by email at damon.arthur@redding.com and on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @damonarthur_RS. Help local journalism thrive by subscribing today!

This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Cal Fire: Home south of Redding destroyed by fire Sunday