Arson Suspected In Fire At Vacant House Where 300 Teens Partied

Fire officials suspect arson may be the cause of an early morning fire at a residence in unincorporated Walnut Creek that was sparked roughly two hours after deputies cleared out a teen house party, a fire captain said.

Firefighters responded to a report of a one-alarm fire in the 400 block of Arbol Via, fire Capt. George Laing said. A steep and narrow access road made it difficult for firefighters to enter the site and Laing said the closest fire hydrant was some 900 feet down the street and around the corner.

“That caused a delay for direct fire suppression,” Laing said.

Laing said the blaze tore through the single-family home, burning the exterior walls, the floor, the subfloor and caused the roof to cave in. Fire officials described the home as a “total loss” and estimated the damage at roughly $750,000.

• Previous: PHOTOS, YIKES! Walnut Creek Home ‘Totally Destroyed’ After Teen Party, Fire

No injuries were reported in the fire, Laing said. Falling embers from the burning structure could have ignited the grass, brush and trees that surround the semi-rural home had it not been raining Friday evening, Laing said.

“We call it wild land urban interface where there is grass, brush and trees and also a lot of homes,” Laing said. “There are a lot of conditions that favor a fast-moving fire. It could have become very entrenched very quickly.”

The cause of the fire is under investigation, but Laing said fire officials suspect it was sparked intentionally.

On Friday, around 9:10 p.m., deputy sheriffs were dispatched to a house party at the same location, according to sheriff’s officials. Numerous juveniles fled the scene and sheriff’s officials said it appeared the residence had been vacant for some time. Deputies estimated that perhaps as many as 300 people had been partying at the house, Laing said.

Laing said PG&E confirmed that the house had been vacant since January and had no connected utilities since that time but one of the deputies reported seeing a light on at the party. How the house was getting its electricity is under investigation, Laing said.

“It was a very active event, whatever it was and it was very close in time to the fire,” Laing said. “Those two conditions alone make it a suspicious fire.”

Anyone with information about the blaze is encouraged to call (866) 50-ARSON or (866) 502-7766.

Weed abatement requirements go into effect on May 4, and Laing said fire officials are urging residents to start cutting back their weeds. “Fire season is quickly coming upon us,” Laing said.

--Bay City News

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