Home › News › Local News
Vandals start fire in Wagon Wheel pool
STORY TOOLS 
More from Local NewsVandals filled the pool of the abandoned Wagon Wheel Motel, a landmark in Oxnard, with debris and lit it on Tuesday — causing large plumes of smoke, the Oxnard Fire Department reported.
The fire was reported about 5:40 p.m. A dispatcher said eight engines were sent to the area, which was developed by the late real estate magnate Martin V. Smith but is now largely vacant.
The property is on Wagon Wheel Road, part of which runs adjacent to Highway 101, where the smoke could be seen during rush hour.
Battalion Chief Chris Donabedian said the smoke was prominent when fire personnel arrived.
"I thought we had a couple of these buildings (burning) from what was showing," he said.
Firefighters cut through a chain-link fence and quickly put out the pool fire. By 6:15 p.m., most of the units had left, leaving four engines and a handful of police vehicles that closed the road between Saddle and Buckaroo Avenues as officials cleaned up.
The tattered structures that made up the motel stand out because of their sun-worn turquoise color, unkempt grounds and the windows — some of which are boarded up and others shattered.
Donabedian said officials had not identified any suspects. He added that there was very little, if any, damage done to the motel because the items burned were "probably stuff scavenged from the property." Tuesday afternoon authorities were working on patching up the hole in the fence and contacting the owners. No one was injured.
The Star reported late last year that many industrial tenants in the area had pulled up stakes, anticipating demolition. The Wagon Wheel motel and restaurant, which Smith launched, are closed.
Oxnard Village Investments, based in Newport Beach, wants to redevelop the area with housing and commercial space.
Posted by lrgvanman on July 25, 2007 at 5:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Now that's a first. The original article has been replaced with this article, however, this one is more definitive. Pool fire instead of structure fire. We still have an eyesore to view.
Posted by waasup_H8RS on July 25, 2007 at 2:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)
maybe they wanted the debris out of the pool to go swimming! haha
Posted by shaver_one on July 25, 2007 at 2:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Maybe the new owner/developer started the fire, to hasten the demolition...hoping the whole thing would burn down...and have the citizens of Oxnard pay for the removal?
Just a thought!
Posted by waasup_H8RS on July 25, 2007 at 2:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)
shaver, im gonna go ahead and tell you its not the developers. perhaps just some kids wanting to use the empty pool for a more positive purpose, yet one stupid kid ruined the whole idea. Just another thought.
(Requires free registration.)
Article discussions on this site are to support community debates of issues related to our stories and editorials.
Discussions should not stray from the subject of the story or editorial.
We do not allow the following:
We reserve the right to delete threads and/or ban users for these or other reasons we deem necessary.
Opinions are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.