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2 Men Accidentally Set Themselves on Fire Trying to Burn Down an Immigration Center

Video shows both the men running away from the fire they set with their clothing in flames.
Two men set themselves on fire after dumping an accelerant on a California immigration services building and setting it ablaze.
The two men setting themselves on fire in their arson attempt. Photo via Servicio de Inmigracion. 

Two men set themselves on fire after dumping an accelerant on a California immigration services building and setting it ablaze, video shows.  

On Monday night, a Ring surveillance camera captured two men dressed in black with masks covering their faces walking up to Servicio de Inmigracion in Bakersfield, California. The two men proceed to dump the accelerant over the side of the building and parking lot in front. 

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As one of the men continued to spread the fuel, the second squatted over a puddle of the accelerant and tried to light it on fire, the video shows. The fire ignited violently t and the man sprinted away with his leg on fire. The second man panicked and fell down twice, and like his comrade, sprinted away from the scene of the crime on fire. 

The man could be heard screaming as he ran into the night. 

The owner of the business said Servicio de Inmigracion told a local Fox News outlet they help their customers work with the immigration process and pay their income taxes. Another worker said that the suspects dropped their phones as they fled the fire and they are now in the hands of authorities.  

 VICE News has reached out to the business, local law enforcement, and the FBI but did not receive a response at the time of publication. The company posted the video on its Facebook page. 

“Dear customers, we started the year a little bad but with the grace of God we will get ahead,” reads a translated version of Servicio de Inmigracion’s Facebook post. 

Kern County Fire Department (KCFD) responded to the blaze and was able to put it out in around ten minutes.

“The footage is quite dramatic, and we hope that these individuals are identified quickly,” KCFD Captain Andrew Freeman told KBAK.

While the fire was contained in the business's garage, smoke from the fire got inside the building. While it was put out quickly, some of Servicio de Inmigracion’s property, like a large industrial fan, was destroyed. 

The business was forced to close until further notice and have started a GoFundMe campaign to help pay for the damages. They said that some of the property destroyed was that of a friend who was keeping equipment for their car wash business at the center. They’ve raised $1,200 of a $5,000 goal.