Firefighters battled a blaze early this morning at a Caltrans office building in San Rafael, as flames broke out just after 6:00 a.m., causing authorities to close down a stretch of Francisco Boulevard West. According to a tweet from the San Rafael Police Department, the inferno was contained to the government building, with no injuries reported and the office not in use at the onslaught of the fire.
HAPPENING NOW - 700 BLOCK OF FRANCISCO BOULEVARD WEST IS CLOSED DUE TO A STRUCTURE FIRE:
— San Rafael Police Department (@SanRafaelPolice) November 27, 2023
Just after 6:00 AM, the San Rafael Police Department and the @SRFD responded to a structure fire in the 700 block of Francisco Boulevard West. The fire was contained to a Caltrans office… pic.twitter.com/fObKqEfnag
Crews have successfully extinguished the fire that took hold of the structure and have commenced mop-up operations, as stated by the San Rafael Police in their online dispatch. While the San Rafael Fire Department delves into what sparked the fire, the street remains shuttered as they work through the analysis and clean up a closure that's expected to clip the commute for the morning rush hour.
Fortunately for residents and workers in the area, the swift response from emergency services meant the situation was brought under control without harm to human life, yet the incident has left the thoroughfare desolate. The 700 block of Francisco Boulevard West is predicted to remain impassable for several hours.
The San Rafael Fire Department's hunt for the cause of the conflagration is ongoing, and updates on the investigation, along with traffic advisories, are being broadcast through the local authorities' social media channels. The community will be hoping for a swift return to normalcy.
