The Bakersfield Fire Department responded to two recent fires involving vacant buildings in downtown Bakersfield.
On Sunday afternoon, firefighters were called to a home near 31st Street and Q Street, where they found a woman yelling for help. Crews quickly extinguished the fire and rescued her. She was treated for minor smoke inhalation.
Early this morning, crews responded to another fire at a vacant building near 22nd Street and F Street. After extinguishing the flames, they discovered a deceased person inside.
The fire occurred next to a daycare, where an employee noted frequent safety concerns due to people occupying the vacant building. “We would have homeless people like sleeping on the little porch thing and they would like bust out our lights or somethings they would bust out the window,” the employee said.
Bakersfield Fire Battalion Chief Alexander Clark highlighted the issue of fires caused by unhoused individuals seeking shelter in vacant buildings. “We have seen an increase over the years and especially during the winter time when they’re trying to find a place to stay warm and sometimes start a fire inside,” Clark said. He cited the La Mirage Hotel on Union Avenue as an example, where there have been approximately 23 fires in the past year.
A motel on Union Street that was deemed unsafe on April 14 had a fire break out over the weekend. PHOTO: KBAK/KBFX
Clark emphasized that vacant buildings are high-risk due to the lack of power, smoke detectors, and alarm systems.
Ward 2 City Council Member Andrae Gonzales expressed concern and frustration, stating he had raised issues about the vacant building near 22nd Street and F Street before the fire. “I’ve been pressing city staff and code enforcement and at the building department to do more on this building so that we can prevent this fire,” Gonzales said.
Gonzales has reached out to property developers and brokers to encourage the redevelopment of vacant buildings. He continues to advocate for a vacant property registry, which would require property owners in downtown to register their vacant properties. “This vacant property registry that requires every single property owner in downtown who own a vacant property and does not want to lease it does not have anyone who’s trying to sell it on their behalf to actually register their building so that everybody knows who owns the building,” Gonzales said. He stressed the need for the city to address dangerous vacant buildings as part of efforts to revitalize downtown.