A two-story house at the corner of North First Avenue and East Drachman Road spouted 40-foot flames Thursday evening in the third campus-area arson fire since early February.

The house, which was under construction, caught fire at 11:43 p.m. and firefighters had it under control by 12 a.m., said Capt. Randy Ogden, a Tucson Fire Department spokesman. No one was inside at the time.

TFD investigators ruled it an arson later that morning.

Ogden said the department is investigating the likelihood that the fire is related to a Feb. 9 arson blaze which gutted the main auditorium of the First Southern Baptist Church, 445 E. Speedway Blvd., and a Feb. 4 arson fire which destroyed part of the old UA Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering building, 1302 E. North Campus Drive.

Damage to the structure is valued at $100,000, Ogden said.

The fire also did $15,000 in damage to an adjacent house belonging to Christopher and Katherine Rettig, Ogden said. The Rettigs are now staying with relatives.

One witness to the blaze said he saw two individuals running from the construction site moments before the fire started. Tucson Police officers transported the witness from the scene for questioning.

TPD spokesman Sgt. Eugene Mejia said yesterday he had no information on the investigation, which was turned over to TPD Friday.

Area residents were evacuated because of the flames' size, but were allowed to return shortly after the two-alarm fire was extinguished.

One firefighter suffered first- and second-degree burns on his hands and arms after the fire burned through his gloves. He was treated and released at the scene, Ogden said.