Suspect Sought In Suspicious Building Fire At GGNRA On Halloween Night
MARIN COUNTY (CBS SF) – A National Park Service ranger saw a male fleeing a historic rifle range building at Fort Cronkhite that was broken into and destroyed by fire Wednesday night, a spokeswoman for the Golden Gate National Recreation Area said this morning.
The ranger noticed the building had been broken into and set on fire around 10:15 p.m. After a lengthy chase by the ranger, the male suspect escaped in dense brush, GGNRA spokeswoman Shalini Gopie said.
Rangers and U.S. Park police set up a perimeter and roads were closed in the headlands until this morning. A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter and a California Highway Patrol helicopter and fixed-wing plane searched the area for the arson suspect, Gopie said.
Overnight #fire consumes a historical building in the GGNR. Because of it's remote location water supply was an issue. The fire is currently under investigation. Thank you to our partners for providing support during this incident. pic.twitter.com/D6hpRF7AEF
— Southern Marin Fire (@SMFDinfo) November 1, 2018
The fire at 901 Bunker Road was reported around 11 p.m. and the structure was engulfed in flames when firefighters from several agencies arrived, Southern Marin Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Matthew Barnes said.
Firefighters from the Marin County, Mill Valley and Central Marin fire departments and the Novato Fire Protection District also responded to the fire. Firefighters were on the scene overnight and were mopping up Thursday, Barnes said.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, Barnes said.
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