Wednesday, November 13, 2024

Grass Fire Outside Ukiah’s Costco Was an Act of Arson, Says Investigators

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Ukiah Valley Fire Authority douses the grass fire on Monday afternoon [Pictures by Peter Armstrong]

A grassfire that ignited on the afternoon of Monday, August 22, 2022 in a grass field west of Ukiah’s Costco is believed to be a result of arson, law enforcement confirmed.

Ukiah Police Department Lieutenant Thomas Corning told us the circumstances are under investigation by UPD’s Detective Bureau and no suspects have been taken into custody at this time.

Ukiah Valley Fire Authority Battalion Chief Justin Buckingham, one of Mendocino County’s eminent arson investigators, confirmed the blaze was “human-caused.”

Due to the active investigation, authorities would not provide an overview of the criminal circumstances associated with the ignition of the grass fire. 

Scanner traffic from that afternoon indicated that a reporting party witnessed a group of three Hispanic males driving a silver Mitsubishi sedan. One of those subjects fired what was described as either a flare or a roman candle before the grass fire took off. The trio drove away from the area and law enforcement issued a Be on the Lookout for a vehicle matching that description. 

Lieutenant Corning told us more information regarding the criminal circumstances will be released to the public in the near future.

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Meanwhile, if the public has any information about the circumstances surrounding the grassfire, contact the Ukiah Police Department at (707)463-6242.


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Matt LaFever
Matt LaFeverhttps://mendofever.com/
For the past seven years, Matt LaFever has covered the North Coast of California in both print and radio news. A Humboldt State graduate, he has lived in the Emerald Triangle for nearly 20 years. His reporting spans local issues like crime and wildfires. When not writing, Matt is an avid outdoorsman, exploring Northern California’s rugged landscapes. Reach out to him at matthewplafever@gmail.com.

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