A fire at the old Mervyn’s store in East Hills Mall is being investigated, coming just days after a fire at the boarded up Gottschalks. Bakersfield Fire Battalion Chief Casey Snow says people have been busting into the buildings and creating a dangerous situation. The skylights have been penetrated and there are different ways to get in there, so that does create a huge hazard for us, with people in there possibly lighting a fire. Crews also rolled directly to a fire in a vacant house on Clyde Street and East Brundage Lane and both were before 10:00 Friday morning. Snow says photos taken inside the Mervyn’s building helped them plan their attack.

Suzanne Grant