Fast-moving fire damages two Castro Valley businesses

CASTRO VALLEY, Calif. - Two Castro Valley businesses are temporarily closed after a fast-moving fire tore through their shared building early Tuesday morning, leaving both heavily damaged and boarded up.

The fire broke out around 4 a.m. inside Pho Auntie’s 7, a Vietnamese restaurant on Castro Valley Boulevard, before spreading toward the adjoining Jr.'s Discount Liquors.

"It started in the rear of the eatery," said Paige Bowie, a Division Chief at Alameda County Fire Department. "Heavy smoke, heavy heat, it wasn’t easy to find the fire initially. We sent crews to the roof to ventilate and relieve some of that smoke."

Within an hour, firefighters had knocked down the flames. Liquor store owner Junior Singh credited their aggressive efforts with saving the building. "All the fire crews that came out, man, shout out to them, thank you," said Singh. 

Pho Auntie’s 7 also posted a message to social media thanking the firefighters, and calling them ‘heroes.’ 

Despite the quick response, damage to both businesses is significant. Singh said some of his ceiling is down, soot covers the floor, and some bottles and products were destroyed. Support beams may also be compromised. 

"Hopefully some stuff can be salvaged. I just got a lot of good stuff in," said Singh.

For now, Singh and his family are taking turns guarding the store at night to prevent theft. He said he was deeply moved by the outpouring of support from the community. "People bringing us food, just expressing concern, it’s really heartfelt," said Singh. 

Both businesses have been red-tagged, in part due to smoke damage and the lack of electricity. Singh hopes to get inspectors in soon so he can begin repairs, though he fears it could take months before reopening.