CLEARLAKE — Lake County Fire Protection District officials have learned more about a suspicious fire that destroyed a home in Clearlake Park last week. Evidence recovered from the scene has provided authorities with information regarding the fire”s possible origin as well as information that may lead to the identification of a possible suspect.
The fire, which occurred shortly before midnight on Oct. 20, caused major damage to a two-story residence on Mendocino Drive. The carport area was destroyed, as was a boat that was parked in the carport. The remainder of the home suffered extensive damage to the interior.
Following suppression operations fire officials had secured the scene in order to continue their investigation in the daylight. According to Battalion Chief George Murch, evidence recovered from the scene has provided authorities with possible leads in the case.
“It looks like someone could have possibly been stealing gas from the boat,” Murch reported on Tuesday. “We found a gas can that was burned to the ground.”
Murch said a pack of cigarettes was also found in the vicinity leading authorities to believe that the person responsible may have been smoking while siphoning gas from the boat. Another break in the case was the recovery of a nylon jacket found within approximately 40 feet of the scene.
“We found a jacket down the street that was all burnt up. It looks like the person may have caught themselves on fire while they were stealing gas,” Murch said, adding that the investigation included contacting area hospitals regarding any recent burn victims.
According to Murch, authorities anticipate the possibility of identifying a suspect using the items recovered from the scene. “We should be able to get some DNA on the suspect with the pack of cigarettes and the jacket,” he said.
The fire had threatened a wildland area north of the house. However, fire personnel were successful in containing the fire to the structure. The residence, reportedly a vacation home, was unoccupied at the time of the incident and no injuries were reported as a result of the fire.
Investigation of the incident continues.
Contact Denise Rockenstein at drockenstein@clearlakeobserver.com.
