Overview

• The San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District arrived at 10:28 a.m. and contained the fire by the afternoon, but flames gutted the upper story and roof before crews cleared the scene at 5:44 p.m.
• Built in 1852 by pioneers Joel and Minerva Harlan and moved in 1856 to avoid dual county taxes, the wood-frame residence was among California’s oldest surviving structures.
• Owner Sohail Siddiqi had spent eight years navigating city requirements to weave the vacant, boarded-up house into a senior living development approved in 2022, and listed the site for sale in 2024 after planning delays and vandalism concerns.
• The SRVFPD Arson Investigation Team is coordinating with San Ramon Police Department detectives to probe the cause as suspected arson, acting on witness accounts that suggest potential juvenile involvement.
• City officials and preservation advocates are mourning the loss of a rare Gold Rush–era landmark and weighing how to honor the site’s heritage amid uncertainty over future redevelopment.