Investigators Say Beverly Drive Fire Deliberate

When a fire ripped through the Beverly Apartment complex on Jan. 21, 2013, it displaced several Rohnert Park families and caused about $1 million worth of damage.

Today, the Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety announced that the cause of the fire as deliberate. Fire investigators, along with agents from the bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives, conducted an investigation into the cause of the fire that lasted several days.

"It was a deliberate act and there was something introduced to expedite that fire," Lt. John Marty said. "There was just not enough fuel source in that car port to support what you see in video, witness accounts."

The fire began in the lower carport of the apartment complex and rapidly spread. As flames burned through the apartment complex, several people evacuated from their homes. One Rohnert Park resident was instrumental in helping five people leave the burning building.

Marty said the criminal investigation is active, and can take several months to complete.

"We are following up with a bunch of leads, there's a lot of work to be done with something like this, because there are a lot of angles," he said.

Anyone with information about this fire is asked to contact Officer Jon Kempf at (707) 588-3533.

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