Arrest Made In Fire That Destroyed 8 Antioch Apartments: Con Fire

ANTIOCH, CA — Investigators with the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District made a fireworks-related arrest in connection with a Memorial Day fire that destroyed eight units at an Antioch apartment complex and displaced 40 people.

James Sossaman, 44, of Antioch, is accused of throwing an M-100 pyrotechnic device into a field behind an apartment complex in the 1700 block of Hargrove Street in Antioch, igniting a vegetation fire, Con Fire officials said Tuesday in a news release.

Several people called 911 just after 5:30 p.m. about the fire. As the first engine crew was en route, crew members reported a large column of black smoke that was visible from a half-mile away, Con Fire Spokesperson Steve Hill said.

"Upon arrival, the grass fire had already extended from the grass into a two-story apartment complex and a second-alarm response was ordered," Hill said.

Crews from Con Fire and the East Contra Costa County Fire Protection District aggressively attacked the fire and were able to stop it from spreading across a gully to apartments on the west side of the incident.

Weather conditions — temperatures in the upper 90s coupled with 15-20 mph wind gusts — quickly fed the fire into a neighboring apartment complex. Additional fire companies worked to extinguish the structure fires and searched 10 separate apartments that were either on fire or in immediate danger of catching fire, Hill said.

Watch a video of the fire here:

The blaze was extinguished by 6:26 p.m. but crews remained on scene for another three hours to overhaul and salvage as much as possible, Hill said.

No firefighters were injured but two civilians were treated at a hospital for smoke inhalation.

The American Red Cross assisted with housing for 40 residents displaced by the blaze.

"Through witness interviews and surveillance videos, investigators located the person responsible for the grass fire and determined it was caused by Sossaman throwing an M-100 pyrotechnic device into the field behind the apartment complex," Hill said.

Sossaman was already on felony probation which allowed authorities to search his apartment. During the search, investigators found a loaded firearm and several illegal fireworks, Hill said.

Sossaman was taken by Antioch police to the Contra Costa County jail in Martinez, where he was booked on suspicion of unlawfully causing a fire to inhabited structures and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Sossaman remained in custody Tuesday with his bail set at $130,000, according to jail records.

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