A predawn fire tore through an apartment complex on the 400 block of Central Avenue in Alameda on Wednesday, sending one resident leaping from a third-floor window and trapping three others who had to be rescued before firefighters brought the flames under control. Police arrested a 52-year-old Alameda resident on suspicion of arson a short time after the fire began.
According to NBC Bay Area, the fire broke out around 4:45 a.m. in a first-floor unit before spreading upward, trapping people on the third floor. Firefighters pulled three residents to safety, while another person jumped from the building and was taken to a hospital; that person's condition was not immediately known, the station reported. NBC Bay Area reported that six units were damaged or destroyed and 12 residents were displaced.
On October 7, the day of the fire, SFGATE reported that Alameda police arrested the 52-year-old resident on suspicion of arson and for committing a felony while on release from a previous case. Fire officials had initially said the cause was under investigation; the arrest was on suspicion of arson.
Firefighters Battled Tricky Access to the Building
Roughly 35 firefighters responded to the scene, bringing the fire under control in under 20 minutes despite the building's location deep within the property, which complicated access for crews, the Alameda Fire Department said in a video posted to its Facebook page. Pre-planning by initial crews allowed personnel to quickly establish the best routes for fire attack and search operations once they arrived.
Firefighter-paramedics treated and transported two patients to local hospitals, including the resident who suffered injuries after jumping from the third-floor window to escape the building, according to the fire department's account and a report from Patch. Police officers located the jumping victim in the rear of the complex while ladder crews worked to rescue three others trapped on upper floors.
A Dozen Residents Displaced, Red Cross Steps In
A Dozen Residents Displaced, Red Cross Steps In The American Red Cross stepped in to assist 12 displaced occupants from six damaged apartment units following the blaze, the fire department said. During the active emergency response, the Oakland Fire Department and Falck Ambulance provided coverage for Alameda.
Arson Case Status
It remains unclear whether the Alameda County District Attorney's Office has formally filed charges against the suspect.
The Central Avenue fire comes 20 days after Alameda firefighters battled a heavy predawn structure fire that damaged a vacant multi-story building on the 2300 block of Rainbow Court, near Sunrise Court, in Alameda Point on September 17. The blaze spread throughout the building, CBS San Francisco reported. Hoodline previously covered that fire in Alameda Point Vacant Building Fire on Rainbow Court, marking a second major structure fire response for the department within a month.
State fire officials with CAL FIRE reported making 13 arson-related arrests statewide through early April as part of year-round law enforcement efforts to investigate deliberately set fires, according to a CAL FIRE Facebook post, placing the Alameda case within a broader pattern of arson enforcement across California.
