Fire ravages building under construction in Oakland
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Firefighters have contained a 4-alarm fire at 24th and Valdez Street at a building under construction in Uptown Oakland.
The fire started burning at 4:15 a.m. near the Whole Foods and an Acura dealership.
Part of the building collapsed onto the street, and a crane at the construction site was spinning for a time.
A mixed-use development was being built on the site that burned. It was called the Alta Waverly. It would have created 196 market-rate apartments and up to 31,000 square feet of retail. The seven-story project began construction last year.
The structure is adjacent to some individual homes and a few apartment buildings that were evacuated.
Heartbreaking stories are emerging from the fire, Adam and Nancy Khamphou said they were leaving for work when they noticed a fire truck circling around their building.
"We lost everything," said Nancy.
The Oakland Downtown YMCA has been closed until further notice due to the fire.
An evacuation center has been set up at the Cathedral of Christ the Light at 2121 Harrison Street.
There are no reported injuries.
