$10M Northern California Warehouse Blaze Not Arson

Investigators say arson is not suspected in last week’s $10 million cold storage warehouse blaze in Northern California.

The four-alarm blaze at Apple Growers Ice and Storage in Watsonville was reported April 20 at about 3:30 p.m. Dozens of firefighters from Santa Cruz and Monterey counties were called in to help extinguish the fire in the 78,000-square-foot building.

Fire Cause Analysis investigator Michael Ginn, whose firm was hired by the insurance company, tells the Santa Cruz Sentinel that he doesn’t believe the blaze was intentionally set, but he adds arson hasn’t been completely ruled out.

Ginn says there were eight to 10 potential ignition sources and investigators are looking at roofing work done on an attached shed earlier in the day.