Campus Alert Archive
UCSB

Arson, July 2, 2024

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Under Investigation

On the night of July 2, 2024, around 11:52 p.m., UCSB Police received word of a couch on fire at an off-campus Isla Vista location, followed by dumpster fires in Isla Vista and at the on-campus Santa Ynez Apartments, plus a fire in bushes at Girsh Park. The string came amid earlier 2024 arson reports at Storke Family Housing, where a picnic table was burned March 12 and a trampoline June 9. UCSB issued emergency notifications in the early hours of July 3 and warned the community about the unsolved fires.

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University of California, Santa Barbara
Public R1 · CA
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Read when and how UCSB says it will use UCSB Alert: summarized, quoted, and analyzed.
Documented Timeline

Alert Sequence

1 message in sequence · 1 verified verbatim

Confirmed wording is transcribed character-for-character from a primary source. Use Verify this quote under each message to open that source in a new tab and compare the text yourself.

INITIAL ALERTEmail
Verified verbatim4058 chars
This email is being sent to the campus community as a Timely Warning regarding crimes that occurred on campus property. The following is provided for your personal safety. On the morning of Wednesday, July 3, 2024, the UCSB Police Department received a report of an arson that occurred at Storke Family Housing in the community garden at an unknown date and time (believed to be last week). A burnt picnic table was discovered by a community member. The circumstances are similar to an arson incident that occurred on March 12, 2024, around 4:10 pm. During that incident, a picnic table near the Storke Family Housing community garden was burnt in two spots. Additionally, on Sunday, June 9, 2024, a burnt trampoline was reported at the Storke Family Housing Playground, along with the AstroTurf underneath it. The date and time of this fire is unknown. There is no suspect information for these arsons. On the evening of July 2, 2024, around 11:52 pm, UCPD received information about a couch on fire at an off-campus location in Isla Vista. Shortly after, a dumpster fire was reported at another off-campus location in Isla Vista, followed by a dumpster fire reported at the Santa Ynez Apartments on-campus. A fourth first was reported in the bushes at Girsh Park. Emergency Notifications were sent in the early morning hours of July 3, 2024, regarding these incidents. There is no suspect information for these arsons. It is unknown if the arson incidents from last night are connected to the arson incidents at Storke Family Housing. UCPD is investigating these crimes. If you have information that might assist in the investigation, please contact the UCSB Police Department at (805) 893-3446, or report crime information anonymously at https://www.police.ucsb.edu/report-crime UCPD reminds the campus community of the following: Safety Tips ● Call 9-1-1 to report an active fire. If you’re inside a building, walk quickly to evacuate. Do not use elevators. Once outside, move at least 50 feet from the affected building. ● Report extinguished fires, no matter how small, to the UCSB Police Department by calling (805) 893-3446. ● Immediately report suspicious activity to the UCSB Police Department, including the use of open flame or someone talking about/planning an arson, by calling (805) 893-3446. ● Additional fire procedures can be found here: https://www.emergency.ucsb.edu/emergency-response-procedures/fire Resources ● Fire Prevention Resources can be found on the Emergency Health & Safety Website: https://www.ehs.ucsb.edu/programs-services/fire-prevention ● Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) provides individual counseling, group counseling, and wellness opportunities to students. Call (805) 893-4411 or submit a CAPS Services Request Form. 24/7 phone counseling is available by calling (805) 893-4411. CAPS website: caps.sa.ucsb.edu. ● The Academic & Staff Assistance Program (ASAP) offers short-term counseling, consultation, wellness workshops, and assistance with threat management to faculty and staff. Call (805) 893-3318 to schedule an appointment. ASAP website: https://www.hr.ucsb.edu/hr-units/employee-services/asap ● The UCSB Police Department's CSO Safety Escort Program is a free service provided to members of the UCSB community as a safe alternative to walking alone at night. Call (805) 893-2000 to request a CSO escort. For more information: https://www.police.ucsb.edu/cso/cso-safety-escorts. **UCPD encourages printing and posting of this Timely Warning for further community notification.** WHAT IS THIS NOTICE? In compliance with the Clery Act, Timely Warnings are issued by the UCSB Police Department when certain (Clery Act) crimes occurring on campus property, properties controlled by campus-affiliated organizations, or public property immediately adjacent to campus are determined to be a serious or continuing threat to the campus community. Timely Warnings are intended to prevent similar crimes and to provide information that will assist community members in protecting themselves.
Verify this quote
UCSB Police Timely Warning - Arsonpolice.ucsb.edufind archived copies
Corrected 2026-07-19 against live UCSB PD Timely Warning page: restored full safety tips, CAPS/ASAP/CSO resources, and Clery boilerplate; preserves source typo "A fourth first was reported".
Official Timely Warning email on UCSB PD site (page date July 3, 2024).
Preserved source typo: "A fourth first was reported" (Girsh Park fire).
Page notes separate Emergency Notifications were also sent; those SMS texts not recovered here.
Message elements

How the first alert is built

To check this alert, Claude (an AI) read it in full 25 separate times, independently. Each read decided whether the message answers each of the six questions and gave a short reason. A final reviewer then weighed all 25 and wrote the plain-English verdict you see when you open a row. The score (for example 22/25) is how many reads agreed; the 25 individual reads are tucked underneath if you want to check them.

This email is being sent to the campus community as a Timely Warning regarding crimes that occurred on campus property. The following is provided for your personal safety. On the morning of Wednesday, July 3, 2024, the UCSB Police Department received a report of an arson that occurred at Storke Family Housing in the community garden at an unknown date and time (believed to be last week). A burnt picnic table was discovered by a community member. The circumstances are similar to an arson incident that occurred on March 12, 2024, around 4:10 pm. During that incident, a picnic table near the Storke Family Housing community garden was burnt in two spots. Additionally, on Sunday, June 9, 2024, a burnt trampoline was reported at the Storke Family Housing Playground, along with the AstroTurf underneath it. The date and time of this fire is unknown. There is no suspect information for these arsons. On the evening of July 2, 2024, around 11:52 pm, UCPD received information about a couch on fire at an off-campus location in Isla Vista. Shortly after, a dumpster fire was reported at another off-campus location in Isla Vista, followed by a dumpster fire reported at the Santa Ynez Apartments on-campus. A fourth first was reported in the bushes at Girsh Park. Emergency Notifications were sent in the early morning hours of July 3, 2024, regarding these incidents. There is no suspect information for these arsons. It is unknown if the arson incidents from last night are connected to the arson incidents at Storke Family Housing. UCPD is investigating these crimes. If you have information that might assist in the investigation, please contact the UCSB Police Department at (805) 893-3446, or report crime information anonymously at https://www.police.ucsb.edu/report-crime UCPD reminds the campus community of the following: Safety Tips ● Call 9-1-1 to report an active fire. If you’re inside a building, walk quickly to evacuate. Do not use elevators. Once outside, move at least 50 feet from the affected building. ● Report extinguished fires, no matter how small, to the UCSB Police Department by calling (805) 893-3446. ● Immediately report suspicious activity to the UCSB Police Department, including the use of open flame or someone talking about/planning an arson, by calling (805) 893-3446. ● Additional fire procedures can be found here: https://www.emergency.ucsb.edu/emergency-response-procedures/fire Resources ● Fire Prevention Resources can be found on the Emergency Health & Safety Website: https://www.ehs.ucsb.edu/programs-services/fire-prevention ● Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) provides individual counseling, group counseling, and wellness opportunities to students. Call (805) 893-4411 or submit a CAPS Services Request Form. 24/7 phone counseling is available by calling (805) 893-4411. CAPS website: caps.sa.ucsb.edu. ● The Academic & Staff Assistance Program (ASAP) offers short-term counseling, consultation, wellness workshops, and assistance with threat management to faculty and staff. Call (805) 893-3318 to schedule an appointment. ASAP website: https://www.hr.ucsb.edu/hr-units/employee-services/asap ● The UCSB Police Department's CSO Safety Escort Program is a free service provided to members of the UCSB community as a safe alternative to walking alone at night. Call (805) 893-2000 to request a CSO escort. For more information: https://www.police.ucsb.edu/cso/cso-safety-escorts. **UCPD encourages printing and posting of this Timely Warning for further community notification.** WHAT IS THIS NOTICE? In compliance with the Clery Act, Timely Warnings are issued by the UCSB Police Department when certain (Clery Act) crimes occurring on campus property, properties controlled by campus-affiliated organizations, or public property immediately adjacent to campus are determined to be a serious or continuing threat to the campus community. Timely Warnings are intended to prevent similar crimes and to provide information that will assist community members in protecting themselves.

  • Sourcepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Unanimous agreement: the message is sent by and signed as UCSB Police Department (UCPD), issued as a Timely Warning.

    Who is sending the alert and who is responding. People act faster on a message from a clearly identifiable, credible sender, such as a named department, the police, or a branded alert system, than on an anonymous notice. A branded signature counts.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: Signed by UCSB Police Department/UCPD throughout.
    2. present: Sent by UCSB Police Department, named repeatedly.
    3. present: Sent as 'Timely Warning' by UCSB Police Department (UCPD).
    4. present: Sent by 'UCSB Police Department' as Timely Warning
    5. present: Identifies UCSB Police Department as issuer
    6. present: Sent by UCSB Police Department as a Timely Warning.
    7. present: 'UCSB Police Department received a report' and signed as Timely Warning notice.
    8. present: Issued as 'a Timely Warning' from the UCSB Police Department.
    9. present: from UCSB Police Department / UCPD
    10. present: Sent by 'UCSB Police Department' as a Timely Warning.
    11. present: Sent by UCSB Police Department (UCPD).
    12. present: Sent by UCSB Police Department as Timely Warning
    13. present: Sent by UCSB Police Department (UCPD).
    14. present: Sent by "UCSB Police Department" / UCPD, named throughout.
    15. present: Sent as Timely Warning from UCSB Police Department.
    16. present: Sent by UCSB Police Department as a Timely Warning.
    17. present: Sent by 'UCSB Police Department' (UCPD).
    18. present: From UCSB Police Department as a Timely Warning
    19. present: Issued as a Timely Warning by UCSB Police Department.
    20. present: Sent by the UCSB Police Department (UCPD).
    21. present: Sent by UCSB Police Department (UCPD).
    22. present: Identifies 'UCSB Police Department' as issuer of the Timely Warning.
    23. present: Issued by 'UCSB Police Department', signed UCPD.
    24. present: From UCSB Police Department, a Timely Warning.
    25. present: UCSB Police Department timely warning
  • Hazardpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Unanimous agreement: multiple specific arson/fire incidents are described in detail.

    What the threat actually is. A complete warning names the specific danger, such as a shooter, a fire, a tornado, or a gas leak, rather than a vague emergency, because people decide what to do based on what they are facing.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: Describes multiple arsons/fires.
    2. present: Multiple arson/fire incidents described specifically.
    3. present: Describes arson/fire incidents at multiple locations.
    4. present: Describes multiple arson fires
    5. present: Describes multiple arson fires
    6. present: Describes multiple arson fires including a couch and dumpster fires.
    7. present: Multiple arsons and fires described specifically.
    8. present: Names 'arson' incidents repeatedly.
    9. present: describes arson/fires
    10. present: Describes multiple arson/fire incidents.
    11. present: Describes multiple arson fires.
    12. present: Describes multiple arson fires
    13. present: Describes multiple arson/fire incidents.
    14. present: Describes multiple arson fires specifically.
    15. present: Describes multiple arson fires.
    16. present: Describes multiple arson/fire incidents.
    17. present: Describes multiple arson/fire incidents.
    18. present: Describes arson incidents and fires
    19. present: Describes multiple arson fires.
    20. present: Names arson/fire incidents repeatedly.
    21. present: Describes multiple arsons/fires at named locations.
    22. present: Describes multiple arson/fire incidents.
    23. present: Describes multiple arson incidents/fires.
    24. present: Describes multiple arson fires.
    25. present: multiple arsons/fires described
  • Locationpresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Unanimous agreement: specific locations are named, including Storke Family Housing, Isla Vista, Santa Ynez Apartments, and Girsh Park.

    Where the threat is. Saying whether danger is in a specific building, a part of campus, or area-wide lets people judge their own proximity and choose a safe direction. Without a where, a warning is hard to act on precisely.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: Names Storke Family Housing, Isla Vista, Girsh Park.
    2. present: Storke Family Housing, Isla Vista, Girsh Park named.
    3. present: Storke Family Housing, Isla Vista, Santa Ynez Apartments, Girsh Park.
    4. present: Names Storke Family Housing, Isla Vista, Girsh Park
    5. present: Names Storke Family Housing, Isla Vista, Girsh Park
    6. present: Storke Family Housing, Isla Vista, Santa Ynez Apartments, Girsh Park named.
    7. present: Storke Family Housing, Isla Vista, Santa Ynez Apartments, Girsh Park named.
    8. present: Names Storke Family Housing, Isla Vista, Girsh Park, Santa Ynez Apartments.
    9. present: names Storke Family Housing, Isla Vista, etc
    10. present: Names Storke Family Housing, Girsh Park, Santa Ynez Apartments.
    11. present: Names Storke Family Housing and Isla Vista locations.
    12. present: Names Storke Family Housing, Isla Vista, Girsh Park etc
    13. present: Names Storke Family Housing, Isla Vista, Santa Ynez Apartments, Girsh Park.
    14. present: Names Storke Family Housing, Isla Vista, Girsh Park, Santa Ynez Apartments.
    15. present: Names Storke Family Housing, Isla Vista, Girsh Park.
    16. present: Names Storke Family Housing, Isla Vista, Santa Ynez Apartments, Girsh Park.
    17. present: 'Storke Family Housing', 'Isla Vista', 'Girsh Park' etc.
    18. present: Names Storke Family Housing, Isla Vista, Girsh Park
    19. present: Names Storke Family Housing, Isla Vista, Santa Ynez Apartments, Girsh Park.
    20. present: Names Storke Family Housing, Girsh Park, Santa Ynez Apartments, etc.
    21. present: Names Storke Family Housing, Isla Vista, Girsh Park.
    22. present: Names Storke Family Housing, Isla Vista, Girsh Park, etc.
    23. present: Names 'Storke Family Housing', 'Girsh Park', etc.
    24. present: Names Storke Family Housing, Isla Vista, Santa Ynez Apartments, Girsh Park.
    25. present: Storke Family Housing, Isla Vista addresses given
  • Guidancepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Unanimous agreement: the safety tips give concrete protective actions, including calling 911, evacuating by walking (not elevators), and moving at least 50 feet from an affected building.

    The protective action to take. A clear, specific instruction, such as shelter in place, evacuate, avoid the area, or run-hide-fight, drives faster and more correct protective behavior than describing the threat alone.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: Tells recipients to 'Call 9-1-1... evacuate... move at least 50 feet'.
    2. present: Safety tips instruct to call 911, evacuate, move 50 feet away.
    3. present: 'Call 9-1-1 to report an active fire... walk quickly to evacuate.'
    4. present: Safety tips instruct to call 911, evacuate, move 50 feet away
    5. present: Tells to "walk quickly to evacuate" and call 911 for active fire
    6. present: "Call 9-1-1... walk quickly to evacuate... move at least 50 feet."
    7. present: 'Call 9-1-1 to report an active fire... walk quickly to evacuate... move at least 50 feet'.
    8. present: Safety tips instruct 'Call 9-1-1... walk quickly to evacuate' and report suspicious activity.
    9. present: tells to call 911, evacuate, move 50 feet from building
    10. present: Tells readers to call 911, evacuate, move 50 feet away.
    11. present: Instructs to call 911, evacuate, and move 50 feet from the building.
    12. present: Tells recipients to 'Call 9-1-1 to report an active fire' and evacuate procedures
    13. present: Instructs to 'Call 9-1-1... walk quickly to evacuate... move at least 50 feet.'
    14. present: Safety tips instruct to "Call 9-1-1", evacuate, move 50 feet away, report suspicious activity.
    15. present: Gives safety tips like 'Call 9-1-1' and evacuate if inside a building.
    16. present: Safety tips: 'Call 9-1-1', 'walk quickly to evacuate', 'move at least 50 feet'.
    17. present: 'Call 9-1-1... walk quickly to evacuate... move at least 50 feet from the affected building.'
    18. present: Gives safety tips like 'Call 9-1-1' and 'move at least 50 feet from the affected building'
    19. present: Instructs to 'Call 9-1-1... walk quickly to evacuate... move at least 50 feet from the affected building'.
    20. present: Tells readers to "Call 9-1-1... walk quickly to evacuate" for an active fire.
    21. present: Instructs to call 911, evacuate, move 50 feet away.
    22. present: Tells recipients to 'Call 9-1-1', evacuate, move '50 feet from the affected building'.
    23. present: 'Call 9-1-1 to report an active fire... walk quickly to evacuate.'
    24. present: Safety Tips instruct calling 911, evacuating, moving 50 feet away.
    25. present: "Call 9-1-1 to report an active fire...walk quickly to evacuate"
  • Timepresent25/25

    Final assessment

    Unanimous agreement: specific dates and times are given for each incident, e.g. July 2, 2024, around 11:52 pm.

    When the message applies. A timestamp, the word now or immediately, or a phrase like until further notice tells the reader whether the danger is current and how quickly to act.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. present: Gives specific dates/times like 'July 2, 2024, around 11:52 pm'.
    2. present: Specific dates/times like 'July 2, 2024, around 11:52 pm' given.
    3. present: Gives specific dates/times like 'July 2, 2024, around 11:52 pm'.
    4. present: Gives specific dates and times like 'around 11:52 pm'
    5. present: Gives dates like "July 3, 2024" and "11:52 pm"
    6. present: Specific dates and times like "around 11:52 pm" on July 2, 2024 given.
    7. present: Specific dates and times given, e.g. 'evening of July 2, 2024, around 11:52 pm'.
    8. present: Gives specific dates and times like 'around 11:52 pm' on July 2, 2024.
    9. present: gives specific dates and times like "July 3, 2024"
    10. present: Gives specific dates and times for each fire.
    11. present: Gives specific dates and times for each incident.
    12. present: Gives dates like 'July 3, 2024' and 'around 11:52 pm'
    13. present: Gives specific dates and times like 'July 2, 2024, around 11:52 pm.'
    14. present: Gives specific dates and times like "July 2, 2024, around 11:52 pm".
    15. present: Specific dates/times like 'around 11:52 pm' given.
    16. present: Gives specific dates/times like 'July 2, 2024, around 11:52 pm'.
    17. present: Multiple dated/timed incidents, e.g. 'July 3, 2024... 11:52 pm'.
    18. present: Gives specific dates and times like 'July 3, 2024...11:52 pm'
    19. present: Gives specific dates like 'July 2, 2024, around 11:52 pm'.
    20. present: Multiple specific dates/times given, e.g. "July 2, 2024, around 11:52 pm".
    21. present: Gives dates like 'July 2, 2024, around 11:52 pm'.
    22. present: Gives dates and times like 'July 2, 2024, around 11:52 pm'.
    23. present: Gives dates like 'July 3, 2024' and 'around 11:52 pm'.
    24. present: Gives specific dates/times like 'July 2, 2024, around 11:52 pm'.
    25. present: specific dates/times like "July 3, 2024" and "11:52 pm"
  • Impactabsent0/25

    Final assessment

    Unanimous agreement: no explicit statement of danger or potential harm is given beyond describing the fires and property damage.

    What the hazard could do to the people in its path. Beyond naming the threat, a complete warning conveys its potential consequences or severity, such as that a tornado can level buildings or that a leak could be explosive, so recipients grasp how much danger they are in. Research on warning message content finds that a concrete impact statement helps people personalize their risk and act sooner.

    See all 25 individual reads
    1. absent: No explicit statement of danger beyond describing property fires.
    2. absent: No stated severity beyond describing fires and property burnt.
    3. absent: No statement of what harm the arsons could cause beyond describing the fires.
    4. absent: No stated severity beyond describing the fires themselves
    5. absent: No stated severity beyond describing the fires themselves
    6. absent: No explicit statement of danger or harm beyond describing fires.
    7. absent: No stated harm/severity beyond describing the fires themselves.
    8. absent: No explicit statement of danger or consequence beyond describing the fires.
    9. absent: no explicit statement of potential harm severity beyond fire itself
    10. absent: No explicit statement of danger or potential harm from the fires.
    11. absent: No explicit statement of potential harm beyond describing the fires.
    12. absent: No stated potential harm beyond describing property damage already done
    13. absent: No explicit statement of potential harm beyond describing the fires.
    14. absent: No statement of potential harm beyond describing the fires themselves.
    15. absent: No statement of potential harm beyond describing the fires.
    16. absent: No explicit statement of danger or severity of these arsons.
    17. absent: No explicit statement of potential harm severity beyond the fact of fires.
    18. absent: No stated potential harm beyond describing fires occurred
    19. absent: No explicit statement of potential harm or severity beyond fire safety tips.
    20. absent: No stated severity beyond the fact of the fires themselves.
    21. absent: No explicit statement of harm severity beyond the fires occurring.
    22. absent: Describes property damage but no explicit statement of danger or harm potential.
    23. absent: No explicit statement of danger beyond describing the fires themselves.
    24. absent: No explicit statement of danger or harm beyond describing fires occurred.
    25. absent: describes fire events but not stated danger/severity beyond property burning

Systematic AI judgments with visible reasoning, not human-validated codings.

About this analysis
Context

Background

Isla Vista is the densely populated, largely student community adjacent to UCSB. On the night of July 2, 2024, a couch fire around 11:52 p.m. was followed by dumpster fires in Isla Vista and at the on-campus Santa Ynez Apartments, plus a bush fire at Girsh Park. The Daily Nexus reported that Santa Barbara County firefighters extinguished the string quickly and that the cause was initially unknown. UCSB Police later summarized a series of 2024 arson reports, including a burned picnic table at Storke Family Housing's community garden on March 12 and a burned trampoline June 9, and a separate North Campus Open Space arson on July 10. The cluster shows how a university issues an arson timely warning even for small, property-only fires when they recur and present a continuing threat.
Analysis

Key Findings

Multiple small fires in one night (couch, dumpsters, apartment, brush) were folded into a single arson warning
The incidents spanned on-campus housing (Santa Ynez Apartments) and the adjacent Isla Vista community
The July fires sat within a months-long 2024 pattern of arson reports around UCSB housing
Outcome
Santa Barbara County Fire quickly extinguished the fires; no injuries were reported. No suspect information was released, and police could not confirm whether all the fires were connected.
Provenance

Sources

Every claim on this page is meant to be checkable. Open the links below (and the Verify this quote control under each confirmed alert) to read the original university, news, or archive page yourself. Hostnames are shown so you can see where you are going; archived copies survive when live pages move or disappear. See also our methodology.

  1. Student Paper
    String of fires in Isla Vista, Goleta extinguished, cause unknown - The Daily Nexus
    dailynexus.com
    archived copy
  2. News
    Firefighters quickly put out series of fires in Isla Vista early Wednesday - News Channel 3-12 (KEYT)
    keyt.com
    archived copy
  3. Official
    Timely Warning - Arson - UCSB Police Department
    police.ucsb.edu
    archived copy
  4. Student Paper
    Arson reported at North Campus Open Space, suspect at large - The Daily Nexus
    dailynexus.com
    archived copy
Cite this case

Campus Alert Archive. "University of California, Santa Barbara: Arson, July 2, 2024." Incident of July 2, 2024. Added May 2026; last updated July 2026. https://campusalertarchive.com/case/uc-santa-barbara-isla-vista-arson-series-2024-07-02/

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Alert text quoted on this page remains the work of the issuing institution; the archive is a secondary source.

Tags
arsontimely-warningcaliforniaisla-vistafireproperty-crimeUnder Investigation
Added May 2026Updated July 2026Via ingestion