Three years after being set on fire by CCP agents, the “Virus Statue” at the Southern California Freedom Sculpture Park was engulfed in flames again on Monday evening (19th). The fire destroyed two vehicles, ignited the lawn and bushes, spreading over a hundred meters with the wind. Fortunately, there were no people inside the park at the time, and firefighters were able to promptly extinguish the fire, preventing further damage.
Three years ago, three CCP agents destroyed the CCP virus statue at the park. The target of the previous fire was the virus statue, while this time, the fire ignited the vehicles in the living area.
Chen Weiming, the founder of the Freedom Sculpture Park, received a call about the fire around 7 p.m. while driving on the freeway from Los Angeles to Barstow. A friend from Barstow called to inform him that the park was on fire. Chen immediately headed towards the park upon hearing the news. As he approached, he saw thick smoke billowing in the direction of the park. Initially uncertain, as he got closer, he realized that it was indeed his park on fire.
Upon arriving at the park, the roads on both sides of the main gate were already closed, with 7 to 8 fire trucks and police cars outside. He tried to enter but was stopped by firefighters. Among the fire engulfing the area, he noticed that his residence and studio were unharmed, with only the two vehicles outside the studio on fire, one parked outside the wire fence.
The fire was finally extinguished around 2 a.m. It will take some time for the fire department to provide an investigation report.
On Tuesday noon, reporters arrived at the park to witness the aftermath of the fire: one of the vehicles was reduced to its metal frame, while the other was left with only its base. Outside the wire fence, there was a makeshift road made of old tires, some of which were burnt down to just the wires.
The fire spread beyond the park’s boundaries into the desert, engulfing the dry grass and bushes over a hundred meters. A short distance from the remaining embers, there was a forest surrounding a cluster of makeshift houses. If not for the timely intervention of the firefighters, the fire could have spread to the forest, causing even greater losses.
Around 7 to 8 meters from the direction of the fire, there was another vehicle parked next to a storage room and a house. If the wind had been blowing in the opposite direction that night, the consequences could have been catastrophic.
“The vehicles were where the volunteers lived, equipped with air conditioning and a kitchen,” Chen Weiming said. Fortunately, there were no people inside the park at the time as the volunteers had left the previous Thursday.
Chen Weiming’s dog “Hua Hua” remained unharmed, along with 9 other puppies, all safe inside the office and unaffected by the fire.
The destroyed vehicles contained a lot of equipment. Chen Weiming plans to search for surveillance equipment hard drives in the ashes to trace any clues.
“We lost a lot of valuable equipment,” Chen Weiming sighed. The items stored inside were worth more than the vehicles themselves. He expressed sorrow over the significant damage to documents and data. One of the vehicles had just been renovated and was intended to be used as a “military club” camp, now turned to ashes, leaving him deeply regretful.
Volunteer Yan Na, who witnessed the fire that day, rushed to the park upon seeing the smoke and numerous fire trucks and water trucks from the fire department arriving. After the fire was extinguished, Yan Na stood guard at the park throughout the night.
Though the fire department is still investigating the cause of the fire, Chen Weiming and the volunteers strongly suspect CCP agents of arson.
The desert’s temperature is very high, reaching over a hundred degrees Fahrenheit during the day. Chen Weiming speculated that if the fire was due to heat, it should have occurred during the hottest time around 3 p.m. Rather than at 7 p.m., which is not considered a dangerous period. Furthermore, the volunteers had left the vehicles a few days prior, so if it was an electrical issue, the fire should have started earlier.
The park has a volunteer patrol team, but members are not present every day, and there was no one around when the fire broke out. The most severely burned vehicles were parked outside the fence. Chen Weiming remarked, “If someone wanted to set fire, they wouldn’t need to enter the park; throwing something outside the gate would suffice.”
Volunteer Tian Yongde, who arrived at the park on Tuesday, believes that this fire is very likely sabotage from the CCP. He emphasized that Chen Weiming has no personal conflicts with anyone, describing him as a kind person who hasn’t offended anyone.
On the eve of June Fourth this year, the Tank Man sculpture in the park was also vandalized, which had greatly angered Chen Weiming. Most recently, he created the “Dump Communism into the Trash Heap of History” series of sculptures. Tian Yongde explained, “Chen Weiming has poured his heart into the sculpture park, treating his works like beloved children.”
Tian Yongde speculated that “It’s the Communist Party’s fear of the sculpture park that led them to commit arson.” He added, “Chen Weiming’s series of sculptures serve as an ‘accelerator’ for the collapse of the CCP, and with the Party’s base already unstable, their fear is understandable, which is why they resorted to such despicable tactics as arson.”