Las Cruces City Council to vote on demolition of home that has caught fire four times

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico (KVIA) -- The fate of a "problematic" vacant home in Las Cruces will be decided by City Council Monday.

The house, located at 375 Karen Avenue, has been deemed by the city as "unsafe and unsanitary," and the council will vote on its demolition during Monday's meeting.

The property off of Doña Ana Road has received numerous complaints to both Las Cruces Code Enforcement and the Las Cruces Police Department, according to city records.

The house first caught fire over two years ago in March of 2021, and another fire last December "damaged the structural integrity of the building."

It was condemned on May 10th this year, and has since caught on fire two more times, the latest fire happening Friday, November 3, 2023.

In a property report from the city, inspectors say the house poses structural and electrical hazards to the public, as well as sanitary hazards due to the trash and debris that surround the property.

ABC-7 spoke with a neighbor of the property Monday, who said the house "has burned so many times that there's nothing left to burn."

We'll update this story as soon as a decision is made by the Las Cruces City Council.