Squatters' Duraflame Log Sparks Destructive Fire At Mountain View Building

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA — An 18,000-square-foot building in Mountain View was marked for demolition Friday after squatters who refused to leave the vacant structure set fire to a wax log, officials said.

Police were dispatched to the single-story structure at 1599 and 1601 N. Shoreline Blvd., just north of U.S. Highway 101, about 8:22 a.m. Thursday on a report that three people there were refusing to leave.

Officers smelled smoke and determined that one of the people had ignited a Duraflame log inside the building, police said. Firefighters found the log on a cooking sheet on the concrete floor, police said.

Building inspectors declared the building unsafe and uninhabitable after a fire marshal observed multiple extension cords and propane tanks. The inspectors spoke to tenants at the adjacent 7-Eleven convenience store about transients tapping power and found unauthorized connections to an AT&T utility box.

The Fire Marshal's Office approved demolition of the property Friday afternoon. The Building Division expects to issue a permit in five business days, officials said.

A 16-year-old girl who was in the building was taken into custody for a probation violation, police said.

A 59-year-old man, John Thompson, was accused of possession of drug paraphernalia, diverting utility service and resisting. The third person left at an officers' request, police said.

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