CARMICHAEL, CA (MPG) – For the second time in a handful of months, the Carmichael Improvement District (CID) was targeted by arsonists.

The CID is a Property-Business Improvement District (PBID) that was started in 2016 by Carmichael businesspeople. The CID has an office located at 6825 Fair Oaks Blvd. that has now been set on fire twice in several months.

The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District was called to the scene of the crime early on Friday, June 17, as the first call came in around 6:34 a.m. The Metro Fire crew responded to the scene and spent about two hours in total putting out the flames and performing the necessary checks.

Local Carmichael businessman Gary Hursh believes the two fires are not a coincidence.

“It appears that someone has targeted the Carmichael Improvement District,” Hursh told the Carmichael Times.

Months ago, the first fire occurred at the office building. If you are facing the property from Fair Oaks Blvd., the first incident occurred on the right side of the second floor of the building. Repairs have been made to the structure, but the replacement wood has yet to be painted to match the building and old material that was burned remains on the ground below where the first fire took place.

“The office of the Carmichael Improvement District is just being rehabbed now to remove the burned part of the structure and the smoke smell,” Hursh said. “Now they have a second part of that building that was caught on fire this morning.”

The second fire that occurred on Friday, appears to be much smaller and contained quicker. Facing the building from the street, the most recent fire burnt and charred the strip on the left side of the building. However, the fire did not spread and was contained before spreading to the remainder of the building.

Hursh speculates that some homeless individuals in Carmichael could be the culprits. 

“The Carmichael Improvement District is addressing the homeless issue and that has offended some homeless people,” Hursh said. “There are cameras that were able to show two persons in the area of the fire before the fire was noticed.”

Anyone with information about the fire can contact the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office at 916-874-5115. Anyone with information who would like to report it anonymously can call the Sacramento Valley Crime Stoppers at 1-800-AA-CRIME.