MARTINEZ (BCN) -- A vacant house that caught fire early Tuesday morning in Martinez was  also the site of a fire earlier this year, a fire official said.

      Firefighters responded to the one-alarm blaze at 910 Walnut Ave.  just after 4 a.m.

      Fire crews had the blaze controlled by 4:38 a.m., Contra Costa  County Fire Protection District spokesman Steve Aubert said.

      PG&E spokeswoman Jana Morris said there was an exposed natural gas  line at the house.

      PG&E crews arrived at 4:44 a.m., excavated the sidewalk in front  of the home and shut off the flow of gas to the house by 8:23 a.m., PG&E  spokesman Brian Swanson said. They remained at the scene until just after 9  a.m., he said

      At the time of the fire, the house was vacant and uninhabitable,  Aubert said. It was set to be demolished this week in preparation of a  restoration project, he said.  Before the first fire, the house was the site of one of the most well-known holiday displays in Contra Costa County.

      In January, the same house caught on fire, Aubert said. He did not  have details on that blaze but said the home appeared to have been vacant  since then.

      PG&E had shut off electricity to the house after the January fire,  Swanson said. On Monday, PG&E crews had removed the gas meter from the house,  per the owner's request, he said.

      The cause of this latest fire remains under investigation.

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