CHICO, Calif. - Firefighters in Chico are still working to determine the cause of two fires that erupted at Pleasant Valley High School nearly two weeks ago.
Fire Chief Steve Standridge shared new insights into the investigation. "There is evidence that the second fire was not a rekindle of the building after the first fire," said Standridge. The fires occurred on the night of April 25. The first fire started at 4:20 p.m., with two firefighting units dispatched to the scene.
"There were five emergency calls at the same time, and they had no more resources available," said Standridge. The second fire was reported around 7:45 p.m. Some have questioned if this fire was a restart of the first, but Standridge dismissed these concerns. "Firefighters never leave the scene without fully extinguishing a fire," said Standridge.
"I am very confident when the crews left, there was no indication that there was any fire anywhere else that we didn't get to. It had not breached into the attic space. We have a working theory right now that we're trying to root out as to how the second one started, but we may never know in its entirety whether that is an accurate theory or not."
The investigation is considering electrical failures, natural causes, or human actions as potential causes. The building that caught fire housed arts and special education classes and is now fenced off. PV high school has not allowed access to the damaged building. No classes were canceled due to the fire.
Firefighter staffing struggle:
The Chico Fire Department is facing challenges as it struggles to meet the increasing demand for emergency calls. Last year, the department responded to 15,000 emergency calls, marking a significant milestone. Chief Steve Standridge said it was the most calls for service they have received in any given year.
The city's population has grown about 81 percent from 2000 to 2024. During this period, the number of emergency calls has doubled since 2008. Chico Fire operates five engines across four stations. Standridge plans to ask the city council for funding to purchase a sixth engine.
Currently, the department staffs 17 firefighters and one battalion chief per day. In comparison, the Redding Fire Department, serving a smaller population, has 29 firefighters and one chief on duty daily, Standridge said.
To address the rising demand, the Chico Fire Department also needs a new station. Construction on a new station on Hicks Lane on the north side of Chico could begin as early as January 2026 if the city approves it. The projected costs for the new station range from $20 to $25 million, but delays could increase costs by as much as $1 million annually.
