‘An arsonist tried to steal my dream’; Fire heavily damages beloved Vallejo gourmet market

VALLEJO (CBS SF/BCN) – A beloved gourmet grocery store was heavily damaged in a suspected arson fire early Tuesday morning in downtown Vallejo.

Firefighters responded shortly before 3:30 a.m. to Anchor Pantry in the 600 block of Marin Street and arrived to find flames billowing out of the storefront.   

Fire officials said a quick offensive fire attack was initiated and the blaze was quickly under control, but not before the front of the store was heavily damaged.

The windows were all broken out, a pile of burned debris was piled in front of the building.  The heavy smoke damage throughout the store and will require extensive cleanup and remodel.

Fortunately, no one was injured as a result of the blaze.

Anchor Pantry owner Jessica Brooks wrote on her Instagram page: “Anchor Pantry 2.0 coming ASAP. An Arsonist tried to steal my dream last night, he was caught and arrested. A little comfort but it won’t bring the store back.”

No other information regarding the suspected arsonist or a motive have been released.

Karen Finlay, owner of the nearby Alibi Bookshop, created a GoFundMe account saying they “have been invaluable members of our downtown community, bringing good food and good will to our town. To lose them is unthinkable.”