Early Christmas morning turned into a battle against flames for Santa Clara County firefighters as they contained a three-alarm fire in Los Altos. The blaze engulfed a two-story shopping center on the busy corridor of El Camino Real, prompting a shutdown of the road between San Antonio Road and Sherwood Avenue. Though the fire was declared under control by evening, eastbound El Camino Real will remain closed until the building is demolished, as reported by ABC7 News.
Commencing around 4:50 a.m., the fire caused significant damage to multiple businesses but, fortunately, resulted in no injuries. When flames broke out, the businesses were closed for the holiday. "I was just getting up, so getting ready to enjoy Christmas with my family," Raul Tamayo, the owner of a martial arts school within the center, told ABC7 News after discovering his business was caught in the fire. Structural dangers, including roof and HVAC system collapses, forced firefighters into a defensive stance against the blaze.
The Santa Clara County Fire Department coordinated with neighboring departments, including Mountain View and Palo Alto, to control the situation. A public dispatch announced the fire was under control and confirmed no expected spread to surrounding buildings, as detailed by Hoodline. Reflecting on the damage, Jenny Monsivais, an office manager for a construction company with space in the center, told ABC7 News, "It's devastating. Devastating. I still can't believe that it's gone."
Monitoring for hot spots continued into the night as an engine watched over the scorched structure. Matt Yost, the deputy chief, articulated the cautious approach due to the building's instability and possible risk of collapse outwardly. Despite the fire's containment, the cause remains under investigation, and the Santa Clara County Fire Department assured continued vigilance as they await access to inspect the site more closely, as mentioned in an update from their X account.
UPDATE: The fire on El Camino Real in #LosAltos has been declared under control. Units will remain on scene throughout the night monitoring for hot spots. Note to drivers: eastbound El Camino between San Antonio & Sherwood will remain closed until the building can be demolished.… pic.twitter.com/ZSGgTF6gio
— Santa Clara County Fire (@sccfiredept) December 26, 2023
