Jun. 28—SAN LEANDRO — A two-alarm fire spread from one apartment unit to another at a three-story complex, damaging the buildings and temporarily displacing about 160 residents, fire officials said.
All of them are expected to be able to return to the apartment eventually, though the timeline for individual residents could vary, officials said.
The fire in the 13700 block of E. 14th Street broke out about 5:10 p.m. and caused enough damage to the building that it was red-tagged, according to a statement from Alameda County Fire spokesperson Cheryl Hurd.
"They red-tagged it because of water damage," Hurd said by phone Wednesday morning. "They were worried about the water mixing with the electrical system."
All of the residents escaped without being injured, she said. Many of them were likely to be able to return to the apartment later Wednesday.
"It's a 42-unit building," Hurd said. "Maybe folks from 30 of them can back (Wednesday)."
It was unknown when the rest of the residents might be able to return, she said.
The Red Cross and the city of San Leandro helped the displaced residents find temporary shelter.
The first firefighters to arrive saw flames and smoke in one of the units on the third floor that extended to an adjacent unit, Hurd said. It took 29 firefighters to fight the fire and bring it under control, she said. They were able to get inside of the building as they fought the blaze and extinguished it in about 30 minutes.
Please check back for updates.
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