Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

CONCORD, Calif.- A three-alarm fire that severely damaged an apartment complex construction site in Concord, California, was determined to be arson.

 

On Tuesday, April 24, a fire was reported around 1 a.m. Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF’s) San Francisco Field Division responded to the fire at the structure alongside the Contra Costa County Fire District.  The fire resulted in approximately $55 million in damage.

 

The fire destroyed an under construction five-story complex located at 1905 Concord Boulevard, consisting of approximately 180 apartments within 265,000 square feet.  The fire threatened the adjacent Renaissance Square apartments on Concord Boulevard at Galindo Street, causing 250 people to evacuate. 

 

The Contra Costa County Fire District requested additional ATF resources for the determination of the cause and origin of the fire. A team of veteran special agents deployed to the site. The NRT is composed of special agents who include certified fire investigators, fire protection engineers, chemists, forensic mappers, accelerant detection canine teams and other highly specialized and experienced fire investigators.  

 

“After examining all the evidence, ATF has determined the cause of the April 24th fire to be incendiary, meaning that it was intentionally set and is considered an act of arson,” ATF San Francisco Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Jill A. Snyder said. “Arson is an act that we take very seriously.  This investigation is still ongoing and we encourage anyone who may have seen or heard anything to contact ATF.  At ATF our first priority is ensuring the public’s safety and we will continue to dedicate our resources to bring justice to this community.”

 

“The Concord Police Department would like to thank the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Contra Costa County Sherriff’s Office for their assistance with this large scale and complex investigation,” Concord Police Department, Lieutenant Michael Kindorf said.  “We would also like to thank members of the community who cooperated with us and assisted with this case.  We encourage persons with information about this crime to contact law enforcement.” 

 

ATF is offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to the arrest and

conviction of the person(s) responsible for the Concord fire.  Anyone with any information about this crime should contact ATF at 1-(888)-ATF-Fire (1-888-283-3473) or by visiting www.reportit.com or through the mobile “reportit” app, available both on Google Play and the Apple App Store.
 

ATF is the only federal agency with the responsibility and ability to investigate fires and crimes

of arson. Much of its expertise and state-of-the-art equipment is assigned to the National Response Team, which deploys around the country and the world to help investigate large-scale and complex fire and explosives scenes at the request of local agencies. More information on NRT can be found at https://www.atf.gov/explosives/national-response-team.