According to Mayor Marquette Hawkins, a fire at the California City Yard on Wednesday night destroyed important city documents dating back over 30 years as well as two vehicles.
The fire began around 7 p.m. and completely destroyed a main structure that housed contracts, maps, grants, several offices, and recently relocated equipment.
“I was shocked. I have a sinking feeling in my stomach because I know how important that building is to the city, the documents it contains, and the office space it is used for. Hawkins stated, “The equipment was just moved there to be safe and protected, and now we have things on fire.”
While there is no official estimate of damages yet, the mayor stated that the costs would be significant.
“It’s gonna be in the tens of thousands, maybe even more,” Hawkins estimated.
The fire has also affected city services. The blaze damaged Dial-A-Ride buses, which will be out of service indefinitely, according to the mayor.
On Thursday, arson investigators were expected to inspect the scene. City employees declined to be interviewed, and California City Fire Department personnel were unavailable for comment.
The mayor, who discovered the fire while driving down California City Boulevard and noticed police cars approaching the city yard, expressed doubts about salvaging much from the scene.
“We’re going to assess what’s there and see if there’s anything we can salvage. It looked pretty bad. So I doubt it. Hawkins said, “We just have to pick up the pieces and move on from there.”
