At about 4:45 a.m. Wednesday, March 18, 2026, deputies with the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office responded to the Santa Cruz County Fire Station on Empire Grade Road in Santa Cruz County, Calif., following reports of a fully involved blaze in a water tender vehicle. The fire was quickly extinguished. Based on preliminary findings, the incident is believed to be arson, the Sheriff's Office said. (Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office via Bay City News)

Fire investigators in Santa Cruz County believe arson is to blame for an incident involving a fire truck, the Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday.  

At about 4:45 a.m. Wednesday, deputies with the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office responded to the Santa Cruz County Fire Station on Empire Grade Road near Bonny Doon following reports of a fully involved blaze in a water tender vehicle.  

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Katy St. Clair got her start in journalism by working in the classifieds department at the East Bay Express during the height of alt weeklies, then sweet talked her way into becoming staff writer, submissions editor, and music editor. She has been a columnist in the East Bay Express, SF Weekly, and the San Francisco Examiner. Starting in 2015, she begrudgingly scaled the inverted pyramid at dailies such as the Vallejo Times-Herald, The Vacaville Reporter, and the Daily Republic. She has her own independent news site and blog that covers the delightfully dysfunctional town of Vallejo, California, where she also collaborates with the investigative team at Open Vallejo. A passionate advocate for people with developmental disabilities, she serves on both the Board of the Arc of Solano and the Arc of California. She lives in Vallejo.