Historic Kutner House in downtown Fresno to be rebuilt after Sunday’s fire

FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE) – The Kutner House has been on L Street in downtown Fresno for over 100 years. However, a fire on Sunday afternoon erased that story within hours.

“There is just too much significant damage. Often times in those old houses the fire can penetrate the wall, climb up to the second floor and enter the attic, then off you go shopping, ”said Michael Kain, retired fire chief. and the current Director of Emergency Services for 1-800-BOARDUP.

Restoration crews worked on the house late at night, but Kain says it will need to be demolished and rebuilt.

Fresno Historical Society president Elizabeth Laval says it’s a loss to the city’s history.

“This house was 120 years old and had been lovingly restored. He was being treated. It may look the same, but it will never be the same, ”she said.

A loss, according to Lavalle, is amplified by the use of the home. It housed a dozen women recovering from the Lighthouse Recovery program.

“It was actually a house that was being restored and used for a good cause,” she said.

Kain says that once the insurance details are defined, the restoration company will rebuild the house to be as similar as possible, with updated safety standards and, hopefully, a more functional space. for the lighthouse recovery program.

“The good thing about that negative is that you took an old house and made it a recovery center, and hopefully we can build you a recovery center that looks like a house,” Kain said.

Women in the Lighthouse Recovery program are temporarily housed at a local women’s shelter. The manager says they are looking for a house or lofts to rent in the city center. You can donate to their cause via their website.