Likely / Best
Time / Case

10:45 / 10:47a.m. - inside Square Deal Recordings & Supplies (SDRS):

Prior to arrive at SDRS, the "Fire guy" goes to The Sub and saw The Sub crew getting ready to exit. He opens The Sub front door and tells Katie they must get out and she sarcastically tells him, "What do you think we are doing?" He has now "cleared" The Sub. He then asks if there is a "crew" at the warehouse next door. The "Fire guy" then goes around the fire and into Square Deal Recordings & Supplies (SDRS) to "clear the building".

10:46 / 10:48a.m.:

"Fire guy" comes in Square Deal's front door and announces our building is compromised and we must get out — He has a cellphone to his ear and is in a call. Jeremy & Nicole respond, go to top of the stairs.

10:47 / 10:49a.m.:

Nicole runs to The Sub.

Jeremy confronted "Fire guy" , who then stated he is off-duty firefighter.

10:47 / 10:49a.m.:

Jeremy then goes to tell four (4) staff members to leave the building because of fire.
He returns and "Fire guy" is still by the swinging doors at top of the stairs.

10:49 / 10:50a.m.:
Jeremy & "Fire guy" go down stairs and out door.
Jeremy does not see José and decides to go back into building to look for him.

10:50 / 10:51a.m.:
"Fire guy" says Jeremy can’t go back in. Jeremy says he is going to look for José and goes up the stairs into SDRS with "Fire guy" following. "Fire guy" waits by swinging doors at top of the stairs while Jeremy looks for José.

10:52a.m.:
Jeremy returns (without finding José) and "Fire guy" is still waiting.

The first call to 911 was 10:49a.m. (10:48:50). "Fire guy" was already on the phone when he first came in and making a call but NOT to 911.

10:52a.m.: "Fire guy" pulls the (1) fire alarm pull station as he exits with Jeremy for the final time.

The time of the fire alarm he pulls is 10:52. SDRS only has a fire alarm in the basement.

Other than the "Fire guy" (who we feel is the arsonist!), No other firemen "cleared" either The Sub or SDRS of people at the beginning of the fire or at any point during the fire, which is their first obligation.

No staff or crew was contacted during the fire to ask about people and no fireman ever went inside The Sub main room.

No fireman’s narrative mentions clearing The Sub or SDRS of personnel. There were seven narratives — none of which mention making sure no one was in the building. This is the FIRST responsibility for all firefighters.

What is going on with a Fire Department that refuses to do an actual arson investigation of the most serious fire San Luis Obispo has had in 20 years? We feel they are covering up what actually happened.

SLO City FD returned the property to the owners on 12/28/15 – Only one full day had passed to investigate. They only looked through windows from outside as the City did not allow anyone access until about 1/11/16. From the beginning, we told everyone who would listen that the fire was started with an unknown incendiary device put in our front window. Video evidence clearly shows arson because the fire went from zero to full-blown in 90 seconds and there is nothing in the window boxes to supply fuel for such a large ferocious fire!

The color of the fire in the videos (white and near-white) indicate that what is burning is not wood (maximum temperature 1600º F) but a fuel (maximum temperature near 2900º F) – This alone should require a full arson investigation.

In spite of multiple witness statements taken on 12/27/15 which totally support the claim of arson, no arson investigation was contemplated. There was no effort to secure/preserve the fire scene for future investigation.

Instead, the "spin" is that the fire was deep-seated in the store (which was open for business and had nine people inside) as opposed to admitting it was arson and only in the window box at the start.

The investigation seems to be over on 12/28/15 except for releasing the official fire report and talking to the insurance personnel. SLO City FD leadership would not release the final report until 12/6/16, over 11 months later. They claimed they were still investigating even when the final report shows they were done before 1/11/16. Fire Department Investigator Jason Bares said:

"Due to limitations encountered during the investigation process to establish a safe fire investigation scene, a comprehensive investigation of the entire fire scene could not be completed. Therefore, the cause of the fire remains undetermined."

We, the property owners, were stalled 11 months on receiving the final report because SLO City FD leadership claimed they were doing an investigation with the same authority as a Police Department. This can only be true if you are investigating arson. When SLO City FD returned the property to us on 12/28/15, they were declaring to the fire knowledgable world that they would not consider arson. They declared no chance of arson by refusing to secure the crime scene, and releasing the property before they, the Police, or the insurance investigators could look at a properly secured fire/crime scene.

When the insurance investigators come to a fire scene that has been completely turned back over to the property owner before their arrival, they know the Fire Department has determined no chance of arson because there is no effort to preserve the scene. So, their conclusion will either agree with no arson or will act as a direct challenge to the Fire Department. Investigators are unlikely to submit a report where results would go against the Fire Department's findings – to do so would open a legal can of worms.

We need a criminal arson investigation of our fire and the crimes committed before and during it!