Flames and smoky skies were seen over Oakland's waterfront as firefighters battled a blaze in a vacant red-tagged building Wednesday afternoon. The structure, previously home to a security firm, located at 3575 Alameda Ave., was reported ablaze at around 2:50 PM and was brought under control by 3:45 PM, according to the Oakland Fire Department's social media post. No injuries have been reported about the incident.
The Oakland Fire Department initiated a defensive approach to tackle the fire, opting not to send personnel inside the flame-engulfed structure. They dispatched over 25 firefighters, four engines, and two ladder trucks, as stated in their social media release. Meanwhile, support came from the nearby Alameda Fire Department, which dispatched an additional engine and a fire boat, which was used to shoot water onto the structure from the estuary.
The building, marked by the city as damaged and dangerous to enter or inhabit, had been red-tagged and sat vacant for some time. Interestingly, this wasn't the first time the property had caught fire, with the San Francisco Chronicle reporting that it had experienced about six fires in the last two years. Michael Hunt, chief of staff of the Oakland Fire Department, told the San Francisco Chronicle that upon arrival, the building was already boarded up due to a previous fire, forcing crews to enter the building to tackle the flames forcibly.
An investigation into this latest fire is actively underway. Battalion Chief James Bowron expressed to the San Francisco Chronicle that the previous fires and the building’s neglected state continue to pose a concern for the area.
