A fire that broke out just after midnight yesterday at a Public Storage facility in Richmond caused the second story of the building to collapse onto the first, according to the Richmond Fire Department. The blaze was contained by Wednesday morning, but firefighters worked throughout the day to extinguish deep-seated hot spots within the wreckage. Chief Aaron Osorio of the Richmond Fire Department revealed in a statement obtained by ABC7 News that "It is common to have a difficult time to get in the last bit of the fire because we just have so much building material that has collapsed on top of the flame that is on the first floor."
The cause of the fire, which coincided with a severe storm on Tuesday night, is still under investigation. Captain Osorio noted that the conditions posed a significant challenge. "The wind definitely contributed to the spread of the fire throughout the building. It just made firefighting operations extremely difficult for our crews," he told ABC7 News. A firefighter sustained hand injuries during the response and was later released from the hospital after treatment.
Residents who lost possessions in the fire are grappling with the aftermath. Eddie Morgain Sr. lamented to NBC Bay Area about the loss of personal items worth tens of thousands of dollars, including family videos, saying, "It’s kind of almost like a farewell feeling to my belongings." Anthony Cooper, who rented a unit on the second floor, was not notified by the company immediately. According to an ABC7 News interview, he visited the site to find his unit had collapsed, and although his possessions were insured, the situation remains uncertain.
The fire not only destroyed customer's belongings but also displaced the on-site manager and her family, who were preparing to celebrate Christmas. Speaking to ABC7 News, Harmony, her niece who was babysitting at the time, recounted, "We were okay. She was gift-wrapping. I was sitting in the living room with the baby while the baby was asleep." The family was able to escape the fire, which reportedly did not involve any hazardous materials. After the flames are fully extinguished, the building will undergo an inspection to assess its structural integrity.
