Tehachapi News

Fireworks cited as cause of depot fire

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Tips from the community led investigators to two Tehachapi men who allegedly are responsible for starting the $1 million fire that destroyed the historic Tehachapi railroad depot on Friday, June 13.
At a press conference Wednesday, June 17, in front of the charred remains of the depot, county and city officials said the male suspects, ages 31 and 36, were shooting off illegal fireworks that ignited the fire. They said the men, whose identities were not released, were under the influence of alcohol at the time.
Officers from the Kern County Arson Investigation Unit together with officers from the Tehachapi Police Department teamed immediately up to begin investigating the fire and had an idea of the identities of the suspects as early as Friday night. They had enough information and interviews with the suspects to go public by Wednesday.
“On Friday night our sergeant received a call from a citizen, pointing to two individuals who may have been lighting off fireworks,” Tehachapi Police Chief Jeff Kermode said. “On Saturday we got a few more tips leading us in that direction.”
Kermode told the Tehachapi News, “We received a lot of tips – from high school kids, from disgruntled people. The word was kind of out there and people were bringing it to us. A lot of people came up to me at the chili cook-off on Saturday.”
Both suspects are employed in town, Kermode said, and one has a family and children. The case will be turned over the District Attorney, who, according to Kern County Deputy Fire Chief Phil Castle, “will obtain a warrant.” The suspects had not been arrested as of June 21.
“The case is moving forward as we speak,” Castle said.
They may be charged under Penal Code PC 452: Unlawfully Causing a Fire, which includes felony arson and illegal fireworks charges.
Kermode said the suspects regret their actions and are being cooperative.
In the case of the first suspect, Kermode said, “We made the first contact early Monday afternoon at his home. He was cooperative. He offered no resistance. We had a lengthy interview. He expressed great remorse and great fear as to the consequences.”
Kermode said, “Alcohol and illegal fireworks are not a good combination.”
The first report of the actual fire came from another citizen shortly after 3 a.m.
Kermode said the Tehachapi Police Department had received a report of aerial fireworks in the vicinity of south Green Street at “nine or 10 Thursday night.” A patrol car was dispatched and found no fireworks activity. Kermode said the suspects had retreated to avoid detection and came back out later at “one or two in the morning” to resume shooting fireworks.
Saturday before dark, he said, investigators found remnants of fireworks stashed near the railroad tracks to the east of the depot, and connected those remnants to the suspects.
Kern County Fire Department Public Information Officer Sean Collins said the fireworks were homemade bottle rockets, in which firecrackers are stuck on a stick and shot from a bottle.
“You can’t control them,” Collins said. “They are really dangerous.”
Collins strongly cautioned about the use of fireworks.
“Even safe and sane fireworks are illegal if they are used improperly,” Collins said. “If you light them and throw them they are illegal.”
At the Wednesday press conference, Mayor Deborah Hand told a gathering of media -- many from Bakersfield -- that “This will go down as one of our community tragedies.” She praised the Tehachapi Police Department and the Kern County Fire Department for their “extraordinary cooperation.”
“They did an amazing job in solving this crime so fast,” she said.
City Councilman and former mayor Ed Grimes, remembering the smell of cigar smoke that lingered in the depot when it was still being used for passenger traffic, said, “We have donations coming in. We will rebuild in time for the city centennial.”
Pausing to wait a passing train would not drown out his words, Grimes said, “With your help, we’ll get this done.”