SAN JOSE, Calif. (KRON) — Two San Jose men who allegedly caused an explosive fire at a public storage facility with illegal fireworks were identified on Friday.
The June 14 inferno at Public Storage on Blossom Hill Road in San Jose exploded and spread so rapidly that witnesses said the blaze looked like something out of a “Call Of Duty” video game. Witnesses reported hearing “popping” sounds emanating from the three-alarm fire.
San Jose Police Department Sgt. Jorge Garibay wrote, “The fire was a result of multiple illegal fireworks igniting in a storage unit. The large amount of fireworks stored in the unit caused the entire building to catch fire resulting in everything stored inside to be completely lost and unsalvageable.”
Investigators discovered that someone had stockpiled nearly 40,000 pounds of illegal fireworks ahead of the July 4 holiday. The fireworks were estimated to be worth $2 million.
San Jose Fire Department arson investigators and SJPD police detectives identified two suspects: Anthony Dasilva, 45, of San Jose, and Nathaniel Valassis, 25 of San Jose.
When police executed search warrants, they found several other storage units also containing stockpiles of illegal fireworks.
As a result of all the search warrants, SJPD seized:
• More than 38,000 pounds of illegal fireworks
• 13 ounces of methamphetamine for sale
• 200 grams of cocaine for sale
• Marijuana for sale
• $4,800 in cash
• One firearm
On Thursday, SJPD’s Covert Response Unit found and arrested Dasilva and Valassis.
Sgt. Jorge Garibay said, “38,000 pounds no longer on the streets of San Jose.” Seizing that many illegal fireworks may have saved a child from losing a hand, or a house from burning down, Garibay said.
Garibay described the massive Public Storage fire as “outrageous.”
One family that was temporarily storing all of their possessions at Public Storage lost everything in the fire. Bryce Grenon, his 8-year-old daughter, and his girlfriend were getting ready to move their whole house from the South Bay to Sacramento.
Grenon said all of his daughter’s toys and other belongings went up in flames. “Having to tell her about (the fire) the day before her birthday party, that everything was gone, was the hardest day of my life,” Grenon said.
The fire ignited around 6 p.m. June 14 and burned all night. Firefighters were unable to douse the blaze until the following morning. A Haz-Mat crew had to be called in because firefighters didn’t know what was burning inside the storage units. The entire two-story facility was reduced to ashes.
According to Santa Clara County jail inmate records, Dasilva and Valassis were out of custody by Friday afternoon.
Anyone with information about this fireworks and arson investigation is asked to contact Detective Tong or Detective Weidner at the San Jose Police Assaults Unit by emailing [email protected], [email protected], or by calling 408-277-4161.
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