Mountain View, CA – On Thursday, Jan. 15, at approximately 8:22 a.m., officers responded to the 1500 block of N. Shoreline Boulevard regarding a report of three individuals who were refusing to leave a vacant building. The reporting parties advised that one of the subjects had ignited a Duraflame log inside the building.

Officers located three subjects inside the vacant building at1599 and 1601 N. Shoreline Boulevard. As officers approached the building, they smelled smoke. Officers requested assistance from the City of Mountain View Fire Department, which responded to extinguish the fire.

Firefighters arrived on the scene at 8:51 a.m. to find smoke and small flames coming from a Duraflame log, which had been lit and was resting on a cooking sheet atop the cement floor. Firefighters quickly extinguished the flames with a water fire extinguisher. Firefighters checked to ensure the fire did not extend to other areas in the building, and no fire damage to the property was observed.

Multiple extension cords and propane tanks were observed by the fire crews, prompting the Fire Marshal and Building Division inspectors to be called to the scene.

The Fire Marshal investigated for life-safety issues and ignition sources. The two Building Division Inspectors red-tagged the facility, declaring it unsafe and uninhabitable. The inspectors spoke to neighboring tenants at the adjacent 7-Eleven convenience store about transients tapping power, found unauthorized connections to an AT&T utility box, and alerted the facilities manager. The box was repaired, resolving the electricity hazard.

The Fire Marshal’s Office approved the permit application for the demolition of the property this afternoon. The Building Division currently has the request in plan-check review and anticipates issuing a permit in the next five business days.

A 16-year-old female juvenile was located inside the building and was transported to San Mateo County Juvenile Hall for a probation violation.

Another subject located in the building was identified as John Thompson, a 58-year-old Mountain View resident. He was arrested for one count of California Penal Code section 148(a)(1), one count of California Penal Code section 498(b)(1), and one count of California Health and Safety Code section 11364. He was transported and booked into the San Jose Main Jail.

The third subject left upon the officer’s request.

Media Contacts
For inquiries regarding police response, contact PolicePIO@mountainview.gov.
For inquiries regarding fire response, contact robert.maitland@mountainview.gov.
For inquiries regarding the City of Mountain View, contact Communications@mountainview.gov.

Photographs
Individual images can be found at Flickr.com/photos/MVpublicsafety.
Please credit the images: Courtesy of the City of Mountain View Fire Department.