OILDALE, CA - Kern County firefighters are investigating fires that torched seven vehicles parked in an Oildale neighborhood early Sunday morning. The neighborhood is near Merle Haggard Drive and McCray street. Six cars were destroyed in the fire, one other was damaged.
Neighbor Mitchell Shepard said, "You never expect to walk out your front door in the wee hours of the morning and expect to see your car blown up for no good reason."
Heather Warkentin owned one of the six cars completely destroyed by the fire. She said, "I never thought anything like this would ever happen on my own home."
Neighbors say they heard a loud noise around four in the morning and came out to find the cars engulfed in flames. "It was insane, we get a knock on the door and someone was telling me there is a fire outside. I'm like ok. Threw on some clothes, came outside, I just see a row of cars just completely ablaze," said neighbor Tyler Thompson.
Shepard said, "Those six cars were completely unusable and had to be towed away. All their tires were basically blown out there was only a couple of them that their tires weren't destroyed, the entire interior were burned out, everything in their trunks and cars was a total loss."
Warkentin and her neighbors say they're still in shock.
"It's just too sad. Everyone just lost everything that they had. Especially work, having to take the kids to school, everything else," said Warkentin.
Shepard said, "It seems like pointless vandalism between all the tenants here. None of them have anything in common, nobody here seems like they're affiliated with anything like anybody was trying to get revenge or anything like that. It all seems completely random. As if someone was just trying to be destructive."
The cause of the fires is under investigation. Anyone with information is encouraged to call the fire tip line at 1-877-FIRE-TIP.
Neighbor Mitchell Shepard said, "You never expect to walk out your front door in the wee hours of the morning and expect to see your car blown up for no good reason."
Heather Warkentin owned one of the six cars completely destroyed by the fire. She said, "I never thought anything like this would ever happen on my own home."
Neighbors say they heard a loud noise around four in the morning and came out to find the cars engulfed in flames. "It was insane, we get a knock on the door and someone was telling me there is a fire outside. I'm like ok. Threw on some clothes, came outside, I just see a row of cars just completely ablaze," said neighbor Tyler Thompson.
Shepard said, "Those six cars were completely unusable and had to be towed away. All their tires were basically blown out there was only a couple of them that their tires weren't destroyed, the entire interior were burned out, everything in their trunks and cars was a total loss."
Warkentin and her neighbors say they're still in shock.
"It's just too sad. Everyone just lost everything that they had. Especially work, having to take the kids to school, everything else," said Warkentin.
Shepard said, "It seems like pointless vandalism between all the tenants here. None of them have anything in common, nobody here seems like they're affiliated with anything like anybody was trying to get revenge or anything like that. It all seems completely random. As if someone was just trying to be destructive."
The cause of the fires is under investigation. Anyone with information is encouraged to call the fire tip line at 1-877-FIRE-TIP.