A suspect has been taken into custody for allegedly initiating a series of fires in San Jose, including one near Watson Park, NBC Bay Area reports. Police say the man was intercepted attempting to ignite another fire. His detainment is part of a response to multiple blazes that erupted on Tuesday, with one starting along Berryessa Road around 9 a.m. and three larger ones breaking out near Watson Park and Highway 101 shortly thereafter.
"I saw a bunch of black smoke. It was above this area here, a lot of black smoke," San Jose resident Hannah Tuli recounted NBC Bay Area, revealing the impact on the community witnessing the fires near residential areas and schools. Different incidents have marked San Jose's June, with fires also noted on June 16 near Highway 101 at Oakland Road and another one the day prior to the arrests, close to Highway 85 and Santa Teresa. These fires threatened structures, yet no damage to buildings was reported.
Residents have voiced their concerns and frustrations, with Linda Abundiz, another local, telling NBC Bay Area, "We were going to take our great grandson to his little preschool, that was all blocked right there," describing the disturbances to daily routines and the inherent risks posed by the fires. San José Fire Department's proactive efforts helped control the threat, deploying firefighters who diligently worked to contain and extinguish the flames.
The department's effective action was highlighted in a recent update where they affirmed, "Forward progress of the fire has been stopped as of 12:36pm. Mop-up underway," as they announced on an X post, noting the burn area encompassed approximately 3-5 acres, fortunately without involving any structures and with roadways soon re-opening after closures due to the emergency.
UPDATE: Forward progress of the fire has been stopped as of 12:36pm. Mop-up underway. Approximately 3-5 acres burned. No structures involved. Closed roadways beginning to re-open. pic.twitter.com/F1kDDyiwlq
— San José Fire Dept. (@SJFD) June 25, 2024
Investigations into the full scope of the suspect's involvement with the fires are ongoing. Authorities and fire investigators are working to determine the connections between the individual in custody and the series of fires across the region, considering the recent spike in fire incidents that the South Bay has been experiencing this month.
