50 displaced, 3 in hospital after large fire in Antioch

A large fire that broke out in Antioch on Friday night gutted four apartment buildings, displaced 50 residents and sent three people to the hospital, fire officials said.

The blaze started about 10 p.m. near a creek close to the 3900 block of Delta Fair Boulevard, said Capt. George Laing of the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District.

Because of strong winds, the fire quickly grew to an acre in size, torching trees and eventually engulfing four apartment buildings, Laing said.

“That was a very significant event,” he said.

Three people were taken to the hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation.

Initial reports stated the fire was caused by fireworks, but Laing said it appears those reports were false and the cause remains under investigation.

More than 20 firefighting units responded to the blaze, which took several hours to extinguish, Laing said.

The Red Cross also came to the scene to help displaced residents, he said.

“The fire burned into the attic space of at least one of the buildings,” Laing said. The residents “won’t be able to inhabit the buildings.”

Damage to the structures is estimated to be nearly $1 million, he added. In all, 18 units in the buildings were ravaged by the inferno.

With another hot weekend in Antioch, Laing advised residents to be careful with smoking materials and to keep parked cars off grassy areas.

“We are almost at the critical time for vegetation fires due to weather conditions,” Laing said.