SAN JOSE >> For the second time in three months, a fire has scorched part of a vacant city-owned lot in downtown San Jose that is taking on an increasingly blighted appearance after multiple incidents.

The fire on Monday morning broke out in an abandoned residential structure at 407 W. St. John St., just around the corner from the SAP Center. In September, a blaze destroyed another small building next to it at 405 W. St. John St.

Along with the two properties that burned this year, the city also owns three properties that are adjacent to the burned-out structures, according to the Santa Clara County assessor’s office.

The blaze Monday was reported to the San Jose Fire Department at 9:30 a.m., Battalion Chief Brett Maas told this news organization.

“We’ve had multiple fires in this area,” Maas said. “… Our guys did a great job at protecting the adjacent building. The residence was a total loss. Our job was to protect the adjacent building.”

The exterior of that building, a large commercial and industrial structure, was scorched by the flames, but firefighters managed to keep that adjacent building from becoming involved in the blaze. No injuries were reported.“We were able to get a full stop on the fire,” Maas said.

Though fire officials didn’t immediately give a cause for the fire, city officials said they are aware that unhoused people have broken into the largely empty property to take up residence in the structures, according to Nanci Klein, San Jose director of economic development.

Klein said there are plans for the site.

“The properties are going to be demolished,” Klein said Monday. “This is part of an agreement to create a surface parking lot for the San Jose Sharks.”

The adjacent — and so far unburned — buildings include the old Forman’s Arena and old Milligan News property. The Milligan News building is the structure that firefighters rescued Monday.

While waiting to be demolished, the property has become steadily more blighted with two burned buildings easily visible from West St. John Street.

San Jose city officials have directed harsh words at private property owners who have allowed their sites to become blighted, particularly in the city’s downtown district. It wasn’t immediately clear how quickly San Jose might act to deal with blight on its own sites.

A relocation notice has been issued for the Forman’s Arena property, according to Klein.

It appears that no demolition can occur prior to Feb. 10, she said.

“The property is fenced off, but unfortunately, people have been using tools to break through the fence even though we have patched it up,” Klein said.