Fire starts at vacant West Oakland home, spreads and displaces eight people
Firefighters in Oakland
OAKLAND, Calif. - A fire spread to three homes in West Oakland near Chester and 9th streets Monday morning. Firefighters with Oakland Fire Department quickly responded to the scene.
The three-alarm fire started at around 5:00 a.m. inside a vacant home at 1533 9th Street before it quickly spread to a home next door and then another, officials said.
Oakland Fire Chief Reginald Freeman said fire crews responded within three minutes and by 5:45 a.m., the fire had gone to a second alarm. "To limit the damage to those two properties was extraordinary," Freeman said.
Chief Freeman said everyone in the affected homes has been accounted for. Eight people have been displaced, Oakland Police Department said. There are no injuries to firefighters or civilians.
As many as 50 firefighters responded to the blaze. Fire crews had an issue with fire spreading to power lines. Smoke was visible from several freeways in the area, including interstates 980 and 880.
Fire spreads to three homes in West Oakland. July 19, 2021. Photo courtesy Fitzsimons Photography
Residents stood outside and anxiously awaited as crews worked. One of the homeowners of the homes on fire said he's lived there for 20 years. He said the home where the fire began has been vacant for two and a half years. Oakland's fire chief confirmed the property's vacancy. Oakland police said the property was vacant for two years. City officials have informed police the property was sold approximately 30 days ago.
The unidentified home owner said he had called Oakland police multiple times to report people squatting in the house and believes that the fire started due to people illegally occupying the home.
According to OPD, they have records of three recent police-related calls connected to the vacant property. In 2021, an outside law enforcement agency requested assistance in locating a stolen vehicle at the location. In 2020, Oakland police responded to a call of a trespasser, who was gone by the time police had arrived. In 2019, there was a call about a disturbance with a neighbor at the residence.
Investigators have not said how the fire began.
The American Red Cross was on hand to provide resources and assistance to the impacted residents.
Traffic in the area was closed as crews worked to put out the fire. Pacific Gas and Electric confirmed as many as 211 customers in the area were without power at one point.