Watsonville Fire Department Stops Attempted Arson

Watsonville police are investigating an attempted arson after the fire department put out a small fire at Medinas Appliance Center early Tuesday morning.

At 5:18 a.m., the Watsonville Fire Department responded to 1800 Freedom Blvd. to reports of flames on the exterior of the building. When they arrived they found the fire near the sliding loading door, Fire Marshal Rob Ryan said. 

The blaze was mostly contained to the outer wall area near the door, but also caught an interior carpet to a minor degree. 

"The damage was pretty minimal but we had to cut the jamb away to check inside the wall," Ryan said. 

An investigator found a burned bottle near the door with a melted substance inside, which Ryan said tipped the fire department off that the incident was an attempted arson.

"It's undetermined what was in the bottle, but somebody tried to burn the building," Ryan said.