Vacant Mountain View building condemned after 3 people, small fire found inside

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Police condemned a vacant building at 1599 and 1601 N. Shoreline Boulevard on Thursday, Jan. 15. Courtesy city of Mountain View.

Following a report of three people who refused to leave a vacant building in Mountain View Thursday morning, inspectors deemed the building “unsafe and uninhabitable” and a permit for its demolition was approved on Friday.

At 8:22 a.m. on Jan. 15, police officers responded to a report of three individuals refusing to leave a vacant building at 1599 and 1601 N. Shoreline Boulevard, located just north of U.S. Highway 101, according to a city news release. The person who made the report said that one of the people inside had lit a Duraflame log on fire.

Upon arrival at the property, officers could smell smoke, prompting them to ask for assistance from the Mountain View Fire Department. Firefighters arrived at 8:51 a.m. and discovered a small fire coming from a Duraflame log that was sitting on top of a cooking sheet, the press release said. They put out the flames with water and ensured the fire did not spread.

When fire crews found multiple extension cords and propane tanks in the building, the fire marshal and building division inspectors were called to the scene. Two building division inspectors “red-tagged” the structure after determining that it was unsafe, the release said.

At a neighboring 7-Eleven convenience store, the inspectors found unauthorized connections to a utility box, apparently being used to tap power. Crews repaired the box to resolve the electricity hazard, the press release said.

When it came to the three individuals inside the building, one left at the officers’ request. The second, a 58-year-old Mountain View resident, was arrested on multiple charges, including resisting police, unlawfully using utility services and possession of drug paraphernalia. The third was a 16-year-old girl who was transported to San Mateo County Juvenile Hall for a probation violation.

On Friday, the fire marshal’s office green-lit a permit application for the demolition of the property. The building division plans to issue the demolition permit in the next five business days, the press release said.