Flames tore through a vacant multi-story building on the 2300 block of Rainbow Court in Alameda before dawn Thursday. Video from the scene around 3:10 a.m. showed heavy flames consuming the structure, and no cause has yet been determined.
Alameda Fire Department officials published video from the scene at roughly 3:10 a.m. showing heavy flames already consuming the structure, according to SFGATE. As KRON4 reported, video from the scene also showed plumes of smoke pouring from the building, and further details on the department's response were not immediately available. A photo circulated from the fire scene, per that outlet's report.
The story remains developing, and officials have not released the cause of the fire.
A Neighbor to Supportive Housing
Supportive housing is part of the broader Alameda Point context. The proximity underscores how much of Alameda Point has evolved from military surplus into occupied residential space even as vacant structures remain scattered nearby.
Rainbow Court sits within Alameda Point, the site of the former Naval Air Station Alameda, which officially closed in 1997.
A Recurring Problem at the Former Base
Thursday's fire involved a vacant building at Alameda Point.
Earlier fire history at the decommissioned base is also discussed.
Rules on the Books, Resources on the Ground
City rules and building codes governing property conditions are part of the broader context around vacant structures.
Responding to a fully engulfed multi-story fire stretches a compact department. When Alameda crews are fully committed to a large-scale blaze, Bay Area mutual aid protocols allow neighboring agencies like the Oakland Fire Department to dispatch engines or cover fire stations.
The Alameda Fire Department is an emergency response organization in Alameda.
