Authorities reported that a series of small fires were set in swift succession throughout the North end of Fremont and in Newark last Thursday, prompting a rapid response from local fire and police departments. According to a press release from the Fremont Police Department on X, the first blaze was spotted at around 11:45 a.m. — a piece of furniture alight on Thornton Ave and Balboa Way. Eyewitnesses at the scene provided officers with a suspect description before another fire was discovered raging minutes earlier, damaging a set of stairs on Newark's Cedar Blvd.
Press Release: Small Fires Set in Succession in Fremont and Newark
— Fremont Police Department (@FremontPD) April 5, 2024
On April 2, 2024, at approximately 11:45 a.m., Fremont PD officers and Fremont Fire personnel responded to the area of Thornton Ave and Balboa Way to the report of a piece of furniture on fire. Witnesses… pic.twitter.com/PEbn8DyPF2
While the fires, caused primarily to abandoned property and vegetation, left no one injured, the damages were a testament to the risks they posed. Just 20 minutes after the Fremont fire was reported, another piece of furniture was found burning on Fremont Blvd. Over the next couple hours, local fire and police responded to several more ignition points in the area, with witnesses repeatedly describing a similar-looking suspect.
By 1:30 p.m., the search for the alleged arsonist came to a head when a Fremont PD sergeant, noticing smoke near Thornton Ave. and I-880, caught the suspect in the act of starting another fire. 36-year-old Joseph Paulson of Newark was arrested on the spot and later charged with multiple counts of arson and possession of flammable materials with intent to set fire, according to a joint investigation with Newark PD.
Efforts to control and investigate the day's litany of fires were spearheaded by a collaboration between the Fremont and Newark Police Departments, along with both the Fremont and Alameda County Fire Departments, according to the Fremont PD's press release. Hailed for their effectiveness, these agencies jointly called upon the community to remain vigilant for suspicious behaviors, echoing the mantra, "See something, say something."
In a community-focused response, authorities urge locals to report any unusual activity by calling (510) 790-6800, option 3, or for anonymity, by texting "Tip FREMONTPD" followed by the message to 888-777. For emergencies, they remind to dial 911. As the small fires of April 2 come to a close, it is the alertness and swift action of both the community and public service departments that have kept this incident from escalating into disaster.
