Home Depot Fined $1.3M After San Jose Store Burned Down

SAN JOSE, CA — Home Depot will pay more than $1.3 million over fire code violations after an arson that destroyed a store in San Jose's Blossom Hill neighborhood two years ago, according to the DA's office.

The Santa Clara County District Attorney opened an investigation in April 2022 after a man set fire to the store while trying to steal tools, prosecutors said. According to investigators, the fast-moving flames sent customers and workers running from the store as disabled fire sprinklers failed to provide water. First responders struggled to reach the scene due to large pallets blocking a fire lane and hose connections.

The resulting five-alarm blaze gutted the nearly 100,000-square-foot store, including an estimated $17 million loss in inventory.

Investigators from the DA's office, San Jose Fire Department and Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives determined the store had multiple serious fire code violations that "critically hampered" firefighting efforts.

The DA's Bureau of Investigators followed up on the disabled sprinkler system and determined the issue was not isolated to the Blossom Hill location, citing fire code violations recorded at 13 other stores in Santa Clara County between 2018 and 2023.

"Fire code violations are potential tragedies in waiting," said District Attorney Jeff Rosen. "Ignoring them isn't just risk; it's reckless. It risks far more than property. It risks lives."

As part of the resolution, Home Depot will pay $850,000 in civil penalties and provide $150,000 to support fire prevention outreach efforts. The remaining money will go toward recouping firefighting costs for the San Jose Fire Department.

An arson case is still pending against Dyllin Jaycruz Gogue, the man accused of setting the fire.