Residents near site of massive Oakland fire told to evacuate again

OAKLAND (Keith Burbank/BCN) - Occupants of a commercial building near the site of a four-alarm fire Friday morning in Oakland had to evacuate again on Sunday evening because the safety of the  building is in question, city officials said.

As of 7 p.m. orders had been given to evacuate the building at 180 Grand Ave. because glass and debris fell from it earlier on Sunday.  The building is about a block from the site of the fire, which
burning a building under construction at 2302 Valdez St. On Monday, Dennis Rogers said the fire was very "unfortunate" because he couldn't get into his office building, which he called quite "inconvenient." 

At its peak, the fire displaced 700 to 900 people living around the site because it damaged a crane at the construction site. The crane was in danger of falling, according to city officials.

The crane was brought down by an excavator at about 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

On Sunday, residents from all but the two buildings were allowed  to return to their homes. Residents of 2343 Waverly St. and 2346 Valdez St. were still not allowed back in, and city officials did not say when the two buildings may reopen. That's because glass on some of the buildings was still so hot, the panels burst and were falling from above.

The American Red Cross shelter for displaced residents at the St. Vincent de Paul Community Center, closed on Sunday, and any residents who are still displaced have been put up in hotels, according to city officials.

Anyone directly affected by the fire should call the American Red Cross at (510) 595-4441 or visit them at 3901 Broadway in Oakland. 

Impacted residents with longer-term housing needs will get help from the city of Oakland, according to city officials. 

The cause of the fire is under investigation. No one was injured and no one died in the fire. 

Arson investigators have accessed the site and a national response team from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives will be on the scene Monday to help firefighters process evidence.
Anyone with information about the fire is asked to call an anonymous tip line at (510) 777-3333.

Business owners whose businesses were affected by the fire are encouraged to call Oakland's Business Assistance Center at (510) 238-7952.

KTVU reporter Allie Rasmus contributed to this report.