A three-alarm inferno tore through a three-story, ten-unit apartment building at 1104 Whipple Ave in Redwood City on Monday, sending four residents to the hospital and forcing nearly two dozen people out of their homes. Crews battled the flames for roughly an hour before bringing the fire under control, and officials said several pets were lost in the blaze. Whipple Road near El Camino Real and Clinton Street remained closed for hours as firefighters and other emergency crews surrounded the scene.
Firefighters were first called to the building just before 5:20 PM, and crews had the blaze under control by about 6:20 PM, according to KTVU. The station reported that four people were transported to a hospital in unknown condition and that at least 23 people in total — 21 adults and two children — were displaced by the damage. KTVU also noted, citing a Redwood City Fire Department statement, that some pets did not survive.
How crews responded
The response was quickly upgraded to a three-alarm incident, and multiple fire companies converged on the Arlington Apartments as crews worked to keep the flames from spreading further, Redwood City Fire Department Deputy Chief Shon Buford told reporters at the scene. SFGATE reported that firefighters knocked the fire down in roughly an hour and that Whipple Road remained closed between El Camino Real and Clinton Street into the evening. Officials said the cause of the blaze remains under investigation.
Where affected residents stand
By about 7:40 PM, some nearby residents were allowed back into their homes while displaced tenants from the burned building were left to figure out their next steps, according to the Redwood City Pulse. City and fire officials have not yet announced specific recovery or sheltering resources for those who were displaced, and investigators from the Redwood City Fire Department continue to examine the scene to determine what sparked the blaze. This story will be updated when officials release additional information.
