75-year-old man died in Oakland apartment fire run by affordable housing nonprofit

OAKLAND, Calif. (Alex Savidge/KTVU) - An elderly man died early Wednesday morning in a fire that broke out in an apartment building operated by an affordable housing nonprofit, KTVU has learned.

Building managers identified the man as 75-year-old Mohammad Alikhani, a former homeless senior citizen who had lived in Fairmount Avenue building for two years. The complex, in the 400 block, is operated by Satellite Affordable Housing Associates.

"This is a great community of people who look out for each other," Satellite spokeswoman Susan Friedland said. "The neighbors, they are very affected by the loss."

The fire was reported about 4 a.m. in the 400 block of Fairmont Ave. near Harrison Street and Oakland Avenue in the city's Lake Merritt neighborhood, according to Oakland firefighters. One neighbor who wished to remain anonymous said she heard a lot of yelling and she tried to do what she could to help put out the blaze.

The blaze erupted in a unit on the third floor of the building, and it's still unclear how it started.

Hours earlier, about 11 p.m. on Tuesday, the firefighters put out a fire in a homeless encampment fire at 5th and Castro streets near the Interstate 880 and 980 interchange. Five people were displaced, the firefighters tweeted.