Investigators believe homeless may have caused fire at Modesto’s American Legion Hall
Investigators believe last week’s fire that gutted the interior of Modesto’s American Legion Memorial Hall may have been caused by a homeless person or people.
Stanislaus Regional Fire Investigation Unit supervisor Dustin Bruley said Tuesday that investigators are looking at a human cause for the fire based on where they believe it started.
A Modesto Fire Department incident summary of the fire reported that the first firefighters on the scene “found heavy fire on the side and front of the building and extending into the interior.”
Bruley said whether the fire was an accident, such as a cooking fire that got out of control, or deliberate is part of his unit’s investigation.
Bruley said investigators are looking at homeless people because of the large number of them who camp and congregate near the American Legion Memorial Hall.
The hall is on South Santa Cruz Avenue near the Tuolumne River in Modesto’s airport neighborhood and in Tuolumne River Regional Park, the more than 500-acre park that runs for 7 miles along the river from Mitchell to Carpenter roads.
“There are obvious homeless encampments in and around that area,” Bruley said. “It’s no secret there is a lot transient activity.”
The fire was reported at nearly 4 a.m. Thursday. About 40 firefighters from the Modesto Fire Department and the Stanislaus Consolidated Fire Protection District responded, along with seven engines and two ladder trucks.
The fire gutted the interior of the building and destroyed its wood deck that overlooks the river. The building’s exterior walls are made of cinder blocks and withstood the fire.
Bruley said fire investigators estimate the damage to the building at $550,000. But he said the city and its insurer will have a higher and more definitive estimate that includes the loss of the building’s contents, including the kitchen appliances.
Nathan Houx, the city’s parks planning and development manager, said the city’s insurer has not yet completed its assessment so a damage estimate is not available. Houx said it’s too soon to say whether the building is a total loss or can be rebuilt.
The city owns the hall and rents it out several times a month for a variety of events, from weddings and quinceañeras to business meetings. It’s also served as a polling place during elections and as a venue for candidate forums.
Houx said there were upcoming rentals before Thursday’s fire. He said the city is working with the people whose events were canceled because of the fire. That can include full refunds or finding alternative city venues, such as the McHenry Museum, he said.
Bruley said the Fire Investigation Unit is working with the Modesto Police Department’s Homeless Engagement and Response Team to find and speak with homeless people who may have information about the fire.
