By Jon Chown
SANTA CRUZ — Nearly a month after an arson attack on the Santa Cruz County Fire’s McDermott Station, Santa County officials are still not sharing much information about the attack, other than it destroyed a 2024 Kenworth T48 Fouts Fire tanker.
At approximately 4:43 a.m. on Wednesday, March 18, sheriff’s deputies responded to the station at 7276 Empire Grade Road after reports of a water tender engulfed in flames at the station. The fire had been extinguished by firefighters at the scene, but the fire tanker was a complete loss.
All the county is willing to say is that the investigation is ongoing and evidence at the scene leads them to believe it was arson. McDermott Station was constructed in 2004 and according to the Santa Cruz County Department Long-Range Master Plan created in 2023, it is equipped with sprinklers and there is a security camera in the apparatus bay. The ground floor is occupied by volunteer quarters. The second floor is primarily used for equipment storage.
However, a reliable unnamed source has told Times Publishing Group that there was not a camera installed in the apparatus room, nor anywhere else in the station.
Santa Cruz County will not confirm one way or the other.
The station is designed to house three vehicles and act as a disaster center for the Bonny Doon area. There are 16 firefighters assigned between the Bonny Doon and McDermott fire stations, according to the Master Plan.
A water tanker of the type destroyed could cost up to $1 million to replace.
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Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Jordan Malone at 831-454-7636.