Fire department seeks inspector and pressures to expand arson investigations after spike in vacant‑building fires
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Summary
Interim Fire Chief Kevin Albertson told the Bakersfield City Council on May 5 that the department investigated roughly 720 fires last year, about 510 of them intentionally set, and that councilors should consider additional arson investigators as vacant‑building blight continues to cause public‑safety problems.
Interim Fire Chief Kevin Albertson told the Bakersfield City Council on May 5 that the Bakersfield Fire Department is proposing a $70.4 million fiscal year 2025–26 budget that includes modest equipment requests and several capital maintenance items, and that the department continues to see a high number of intentionally set fires — many originating in and around vacant buildings.
Albertson said last year the department performed approximately 720 fire investigations, of which roughly 510 were intentionally set. The department has three fire‑investigator captains and one battalion chief assigned to investigations; historically the department indicated it previously had more investigators but the count has fallen even as fires have risen.
The department proposed one fee‑funded fire prevention inspector supported by CUPA (California Unified Program Agency) fees. That position, Albertson said, will focus on state‑mandated inspections — including educational institutions and certain residential occupancies — and after roughly six months of training the position should be fee‑supported by inspection revenues.
Chief Albertson described capital and maintenance projects including partial roof replacement at Station 3, plumbing repairs at Stations 4 and 11, and transfer‑switch repairs to restore generators at Stations 2 and 4. He also noted a small recurring request for firefighting foam and paramedic supplies to address lithium‑ion battery fires and other evolving hazards.
Council members expressed concern about the prevalence of vacant‑building fires and asked whether the department can increase arson investigation staffing. Council Member Gonzales noted a prior referral seeking additional investigators; the administration said two investigator positions were considered but not proposed for the current balanced budget because of fiscal constraints. Gonzales said she would submit a referral for staff to identify tradeoffs to fund additional arson investigators for council consideration during budget adoption.
Albertson said the city implemented fire service billing in October and that invoices are generally sent to insurance carriers, not residents; the most recent remittance the department received was about $15,000 for one month’s incidents, and staff expect collections to grow over time.
The department noted mutual‑aid deployments during the recent fire season and the completion of a new records/reporting system (ImageTrend) to align with county systems and improve analytics.
