Arson units probe Oakland inferno
Hundreds evacuated: Blaze destroys site of future housing, forces nearby residents to flee
Federal and Alameda County arson investigators were among those trying to determine the cause of a huge blaze that destroyed a seven-story building under construction in Oakland on Friday, displacing 700 nearby residents and leading one City Council member to suggest the fire was deliberately set.
No one was injured in the predawn inferno that sent flames and smoke high above the area of downtown Oakland previously known as Auto Row.
A tall construction crane that had apparently been damaged in the fire and was swiveling out of control and in danger of collapsing caused fire officials to order the evacuation of nearby residents, many of whom were planning to spend Friday night in an emergency shelter nine blocks away.
The blaze at the Alta Waverly mixeduse building at 23rd and Valdez streets happened less than two months after an arson fire destroyed a similar development of apartments and retail space just across the Oakland border in Emeryville for the second time in a year.
“Burning down housing doesn’t help make #Oak housing more affordable. It only speeds up displacement of existing
“Oakland is in the middle of a housing crisis and the loss of these valuable units only exacerbates it.” Libby Schaaf, Oakland mayor
residents,” tweeted Councilman Abel Guillen, who declined to elaborate.
Other officials, while clearly frustrated, said firefighters needed time to conduct their investigation. The Alameda County Arson Task Force and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives teamed with Oakland fire investigators to search for what caused the blaze even as firefighters were still putting out hot spots at the scene.
Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf said the fact that recent nearby fires had been determined to be deliberately set was “disconcerting.”
“Oakland is in the middle of a housing crisis, and the loss of these valuable units only exacerbates it,” said Schaaf.
The fire broke out about 4:30 a.m. and was knocked down about three hours later, said acting Fire Chief Darin White. The high plume of smoke was clearly visible in San Francisco. White said it was too early to say what caused the fire.
While not commenting on a possible cause, Schaaf said the city would reach out to developers to make sure they have surveillance cameras and security guards keeping watch over their construction sites. She also advised the public to be vigilant and immediately report suspicious activity around such building projects.
Councilman Noel Gallo, who represents East Oakland, cautioned against early speculation on a cause.
“I think more security is definitely coming, not just cameras but people guarding buildings,” Gallo said.
Portions of the building at 2302 Valdez St. could be seen separating from the structure and falling to the ground as the fire raged. Firefighters arrived at the scene within five minutes of the initial report and were confronted by flames on the roof that were spreading rapidly, White said. He said a “substantial amount of flames” were billowing from the center of the building.
The swiveling crane, apparently moved by heat generated by the fire, caused firefighters to retreat and to employ a drone to inspect the condition of the apparatus from above.
Concerned about the stability of the crane, fire officials set up barricades around the site and will not allow even arson investigators to begin work at the scene until the crane is dismantled. Deputy Chief Erik Logan said that would probably happen over the weekend.
White said hundreds of people living in surrounding buildings, including a 22-story apartment house, were evacuated. He said some neighboring buildings were damaged by the high heat, smoke and water.
At least 80 firefighters battled the blaze. Firefighters from Berkeley, Albany and Alameda County responded to help.
Federal and county investigators were called in to hunt for clues after two fires at a $35 million mixed-use project under construction in neighboring Emeryville, the most recent one on May 13. Investigators concluded that blaze was arson and released grainy surveillance camera photographs of a man riding a bicycle near the seven-story residential and business development.
White said similar surveillance cameras were present in the area of Friday’s fire.
Within hours of the first alarm, an evacuation center was set up at Christ the Light Cathedral at 2121 Harrison St., and an overnight shelter was open at the St. Vincent de Paul facility at San Pablo and Grand avenues. About 10 displaced people asked to stay at the shelter, others were staying with relatives.
In the chaos, nearby residents in pajamas and bathrobes stood on street corners, brushing ash from their hair and gazing at flames licking up the side of the building.
“I was scared,” said Mout Khamphou, 50, who was sitting in her car getting ready to go to work when she saw smoke coming from the building next door.
She said she drove away, thinking the fire wasn’t bad. But then she turned around and went back to find the fire burning out of control.
“I called my husband and I said, ‘I saw the fire start. You have to be careful and get ready to get out.’ He called me and said, ‘Oh honey, the fire started getting worse,’ and he asked where my passport and papers are. I was crying a lot, I worried.”
Samantha Pham, 55, who lives in an apartment building next door to the construction site with her husband and 14-year-old son, managed to get out with her family and dog. Left behind were all their belongings.
“What are we going to do? I’m just sad. I don’t know where we’re going to sleep tonight,” she said. “Where are we going to live?”
According to a project website, the building known as Alta Waverly — set to be completed next spring — was to include 196 market-rate apartments and up to 31,500 square feet of retail, with parking for residents in an underground garage. The building was designed by the Oakland architectural firm Pyatok for the Wood Partners development firm.
“We’re still gathering facts, but there are no reports of any injuries and that’s the most important thing,” said Joseph Keough, the CEO of Wood Partners, based in Atlanta.
The building was part of the Broadway Valdez Specific Plan district, an area designated by the city in 2014 where developers can get speedier approval for projects if they meet certain mixed-use requirements.
A 22-year-old construction worker on the project was staying at a nearby hotel when one of his co-workers got a text from his mother alerting them to the fire. The worker, who asked that his name not be used, said, “What are the chances. It’s just unbelievable. It’s the first big project I’ve been on, and it just caught fire. My tools are inside and they’re all probably gone.” San Francisco Chronicle staff writer Deb Wandell contributed to this
report.