Two arson fires and a third blaze called suspicious broke out in
south Gilroy within a five-hour time period and left firefighters
searching for motives and suspects.
Two arson fires and a third blaze called suspicious broke out in south Gilroy within a five-hour time period and left firefighters searching for motives and suspects.
Three fires ignited during the predawn hours Saturday at Gilroy Ford Lincoln Mercury, the Gilroy Sports Park and Bay Sheets – a corrugated paper plant – fire investigators said. The fires at the car dealership and sports park were set intentionally and the three-alarm fire at the cardboard plant is suspicious, Chief Dale Foster said. The blazes have firefighters guessing as to how many arsonists are roaming Gilroy and what is spurring the crimes.
“Is this vandalism or not?” Foster asked. “It’s hard to tell. We just really don’t know.”
The first fire was reported at 2:05 a.m. outside a warehouse at Bay Sheets, on Alexander Street just south of 10th Street, according to fire officials. When firefighters arrived on scene, several rows of 5-foot-tall commercial-grade paper rolls – stacked 3 or 4 high – were fueling flames more than three stories in the air.
Because the rolls were so thick – three to four feet – and provided such good fuel, firefighters spent more than 24 hours dousing the paper before the fire was out, Foster said. While the rolls were kept far enough away from the company’s buildings that no structures were damaged, the cost of lost paper is estimated at $2 million.
Though fire investigators did not find evidence that pointed to arson, the blaze is suspicious because there was no other apparent cause, Foster said. There were no electrical outlets near the paper rolls, there was no spilled fuel and the railroad tracks were too far away to provide sparks.
“It would appear that somebody would have to do something intentional to get that going,” Foster said.
About 3:38 a.m., a fire was reported at the Ford dealership at the corner of Monterey Road and Luchessa Avenue. When firefighters arrived, they found a small fire burning on a building’s roof, Foster said.
Though firefighters originally thought the fire had resulted from embers that floated over from the paper fire, they discovered evidence of arson when they got closer to the flames, Foster said. In addition, firefighters found a couple of cars were covered in gasoline.
“Maybe we interrupted,” the suspects, Foster said.
Though firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze, it caused between $15,000 and $20,000 in damages to the building’s roof, exhaust and air conditioning, said Joe Lopez, a dealership manager.
While fire investigators were inspecting the arson on top of the dealership’s roof about 6:38 a.m., they spotted an additional fire across the street about a half-mile away at the sports park, Foster said.
A dumpster had been pushed up against the north bathrooms – near where the levee trail connects with the park – and had been set on fire, Foster said. The sports park fire was quickly put out and little damage was done to the bathrooms.
The three fires come just a week after arson claimed an unfinished townhouse at South County Housing’s Cannery development near the intersection of Lewis and Forest streets. Three other unfinished townhouses were damaged in the fire and property damage could top $250,000, according to the fire department. Fire investigators said the fire was purposefully set for “thrills” after finding two starting points and an aerosol can nearby.
Property was not stolen and nobody was hurt in any of the four incidents, but there are no clear connections between the cases, Foster said.
Fire investigators are looking into whether the incidents are linked to one person, but that there are no clear motives.
“There may be a relationship,” Foster said. “This sequence of this many, it’s just making us really wonder.”
Lopez said he did not know why someone would set fire to the car dealership. A spokeswoman a Bay Sheets did not return phone calls.
The frequency and proximity of the incidents is rare in recent Gilroy history, said Foster, who has been chief for three years.
“This is the first time (this has happened) since I’ve been here,” he said.
Anyone with information regarding the incidents can call Detective Mitch Madruga at 846-0332, Fire Investigator Andy Holiday at 846-0370 or the anonymous tip line at 846-0330.
