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OAKLAND — A fire that gutted a controversial needle exchange program in Fruitvale has been ruled an arson, and directors of the center vowed today to continue their services despite the setback.  

Casa Segura, located on the 3200 block of San Leandro Street in the Fruitvale District, was hit by the blaze at about 8 p.m. New Year's Eve.  

The three-alarm fire caused an estimated $250,000 in damage. No one was injured.  

From the beginning, investigators were calling the fire suspicious, and have since determined that it began in the kitchen area with the help of an accelerant, said Capt. Vicky Evans-Robinson of the Oakland Fire Department.  

She would provide no further details, however, saying only that the Oakland Police Department and fire department were investigating.  

Even without an office, program officials are determined to carry on at the damaged site with the help of rented power generators and lamps.  

“We'll continue to do the needle exchange,” said Chris Catchpool, executive director of the program. 

In its nine-year history, the Casa Segura program has survived jury trials, police disapproval and “public opposition from some prominent citizens,”Catchpool said.  

Among the program’s most vocal critics is City Councilman Ignacio De La Fuente, who represents the Fruitvale District. De La Fuente was not immediately available for comment. 

“There has been a sort of hysteria whipped up over what we do and why we do it,” Catchpool said, adding that while the “ideologues” opposed to Casa Segura use only words, violence is sometimes done by “the ones that they’re able to ignite.” 

Catchpool said the Casa Segura program still is ostensibly based in the damaged two-story building and will continue its basic services of needle exchange, community outreach, and HIV and Hepatitis C testing. The program receives half of its funding from state and county AIDS offices, and the other half from private donors, he said.