Explosion in central Bakersfield apartment injures 3
Three people were injured Thursday afternoon inside a low-income housing complex in central Bakersfield after an explosion ripped open a second-story apartment wall, according to the Bakersfield Fire Department.
One person — an occupant of an apartment at the center of the explosion — was sent to the hospital with severe burns, said Battalion Chief Brian Bowman, who is also the public information officer for the BFD. Two others also went to the hospital with moderate to major injuries, he added.
Firefighters first got a call about the explosion around 2 p.m. A potential gas leak could have caused the explosion, the BFD spokesman said. The first floor also suffered major water damage after pipes burst, he noted.
“It was pretty substantial damage,” Bowman added.
Bowman said the explosion is under investigation. Pacific Gas and Electric workers were on the scene to investigate. The Bakersfield Police Department referred all questions to PG&E. The utility company released the following statement:
“PG&E crews responded to ... a reported explosion at an apartment complex in Bakersfield and are on site to support first responders,” according to the emailed statement. “At this time we do not believe our facilities are involved. Please contact the fire department for further details.”
Bowman left the scene around 3 p.m. and said he did not know if any other residents were sent to the hospital. All three floors of the Park 20th Apartments at 400 20th St. were evacuated by firefighters to check the structural integrity of the building, but Bowman said he did not know whether residents were being allowed to return as of about 4:30 p.m.
The Housing Authority operates the building but did not return multiple requests for comment
Thursday.
Gov. Gavin Newsom had visited the 55-unit apartment complex, which offers homeless veterans and low-income families housing, in December 2019.
A Kern County jury convicted a man in a gang-related attempted
murder case Wednesday, according to a Kern County DA’s Office news release.
Sergio Acosta Jr. was found guilty of attempted murder, shooting at an inhabited dwelling, assault with a semiautomatic firearm and active participation in a criminal street gang, according to the news release. The jury also found true several gang allegations, firearm allegations and a great bodily injury allegation in the 2020 shooting.
The release notes that Acosta and another member of a Shafter-based criminal street gang walked by the victim’s home on Oct. 17, 2020, when Acosta fired six rounds at the victim, striking him in the lower back and the left leg.
The victim survived the shooting.
After an investigation by the Shafter Police Department, Acosta ultimately admitted to committing the shooting at the direction of his gang, according to the release.
Acosta is facing a potential sentence of up to 33 years in prison on Sept. 9, when he is due back in court for his sentencing.
Nearly four dozen Kern County Fire personnel Wednesday evening put
out a fire in northeast Bakersfield that displaced six people and caused about $800,000 in damage but resulted in no injuries, per officials.
Firefighters were called to the scene around 5:12 p.m. at an apartment complex at 3911 Oregon St., according to a Kern County Fire news release.
“Firefighters at the Sterling Incident had a variety of challenges to contend with,” according to a statement from KCFD Capt. Andrew Freeborn, “a
fast-moving fire involving multiple structures, traffic congestion from curious members of the community, charged/downed power lines, triple-digit heat and water-supply lines damaged from passersby driving over them. We ask that our community please allow emergency personnel the room necessary to protect themselves and our community.”
Fire officials who responded to the initial calls escalated the response to a second-alarm fire upon arriving at the multistory, multiunit complex and seeing the building was “well-involved,” with the fire ultimately spreading to a similar complex nearby and threatening several nearby homes.
Due to the fire’s size and the need for help to search for victims, the effort was escalated again to a third alarm, according to the release. The firefighters’ efforts prevented approximately $1.2 million in damage, KCFD reported. A “knockdown” was declared on the fire after less than 45 minutes after firefighters arrived.
Bakersfield City Fire, the California Highway Patrol and the American Red Cross also assisted in the response, which included 47 people from the KCFD.
The Bakersfield Police Department is asking for the community’s help to
find a woman reported missing. She is considered at risk because of her age, according to a BPD news release.
Madelyn Davis was last seen in the 2600 block of Chester Avenue at approximately 10:30 p.m. June 24.
She is described as a white woman, 70 years old, 5 feet, 8 inches tall, 125 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. She was wearing a dark-colored shirt, dark-colored pants and black shoes.
Anyone with information regarding her whereabouts is asked to contact the Bakersfield Police Department at 661-327-7111.
The Kern County coroner’s office Thursday identified a man who
died from a gunshot wound in Lost Hills.
Kittipong Kuanbooncharn, 20, of Lompoc, reportedly died at 7:19 p.m. June 8 in the Berenda Mesa Canal, one mile north of Highway 46, according to a news release.
The release noted his death was ruled a suicide.
The state’s Judicial Council voted to end the remaining temporary
emergency rules approved to address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic effective today, according to a Kern Superior Court news release.
The council sunset emergency rules still in effect, which include polices related to remote appearances and personal appearance waivers by criminal defendants; priority for certain juvenile proceedings; temporary restraining or protective order renewals; deadlines to file a civil action or bring a civil case to trial; and changes to support orders, according to the release.
The decision follows Gov. Gavin Newsom’s recent rollback of executive orders related to the state’s pandemic response and in response to the courts’ increasing ability to accommodate the changes resulting from the pandemic, according to officials.
“The emergency rules were always meant to be temporary and just one of several judicial branch efforts to respond to the pandemic,” said Justice Marsha Slough, chair of the council’s Executive and Planning Committee. “Sunsetting the rules aligns with the recent actions taken by the Governor and Chief Justice, and a shift toward a post-pandemic world. It’s time to move forward.”