Surveillance video shows explosions at Sikh temple classroom building in Sacramento County
Fire officials on Friday released security camera video of a fire that set off propane tank explosions late last month near the largest Sikh temple in the Sacramento region.
The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District released surveillance video footage that captured the Jan. 29 explosions near the Gurdwara Sacramento Sikh Society, a temple in Sacramento County’s Vineyard neighborhood. The fire occurred in an outlying building that houses religious classes on the temple’s property.
Battalion Chief Parker Wilbourn said investigators have not determined what exactly caused the fire, which will be listed as undetermined. But he said Friday afternoon that investigators have ruled out arson as the cause of the fire, which was determined to have started somewhere near where the propane tanks were stored in the building.
The blaze ignited at least six 50-to-100-pound propane tanks, causing smoke that could be seen for miles. Parts of two or three propane tanks jettisoned 50 feet away.
The fire was reported about 3:30 p.m. on the property just southwest of the intersection of Gerber and Bradshaw roads. The building where the fire occurred is located near the front entrance to the temple’s property. The flames didn’t spread to the main temple.
The security camera video shows an initial blast of smoke followed quickly by a large eruption of flames coming out of the building. The flames spread to two vehicles parked next to the building. Multiple explosions followed the initial blast.
The video shows the explosions rocketing large parts of the propane tanks — some were the large cylinder portions of the tanks — across the parking lot next to the building. One large burning piece of a propane tank is seen swirling around in flames in a corner of the parking lot, presumably being propelled in circles by escaping propane inside the tank.
The fire burned into the building’s attic, leaving behind a gutted frame, and caused a partial roof collapse, Metro Fire officials said at the time. Firefighters cut holes in the roof to ventilate the flames and smoke to stop the fire from spreading throughout the building. Soot charred one side of the building as flames also ravaged two vehicles..
Worshipers were evacuated from the premises by sheriff’s deputies, and no injuries were reported. The Sikh temple attracts about 2,000 people per week.
