The historic Camron-Stanford House on Oakland’s Lake Merritt, which has been closed since its lease expired in 2024, was damaged in a fire early Saturday, but firefighters were able to put out the blaze in less than an hour.

The Oakland Fire Department said on social media it received a call Saturday at 12:38 am about a fire ​​at the historic Camron-Stanford House, the last remaining Victorian estate on Lake Merritt, which firefighters swiftly got under control by 1:20 am.

Battalion Chief Nathan Leal told SFGate that 28 firefighters responded to the fire, and the first engine arrived within two minutes of the call. There were no reported injuries, and the extent of the damage was unknown.

Fire Incident placed Under Control — 1:20 AM.
Cause of the fire is under investigation. 25 firefighters remain on scene. The full scale of structural damage is unknown at this time. No reported injuries. No further updates at this time. https://t.co/PDH3dbAIQo pic.twitter.com/qelBCaaTSp

— Oakland Fire Department (CA) (@OaklandFireCA) April 4, 2026

“I’m really proud, our crew did an incredible job,” Leal said. “This is one of Oakland’s most historic buildings, and we were able to salvage a tremendous amount of art and precious items that are historic to the city.”

Investigators determined the fire originated on the building’s east exterior, before spreading inside and up to the third floor, according to Leal.

Leal said the fire was contained quickly and was isolated primarily to the east side of the building, minimizing damage to the inside of the building, per SFGate.

He also pointed out a design element that’s unique to Victorian-era homes, which pushed the fire through distinct routes from floor to ceiling, helping firefighters quickly extinguish the blaze.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

The  Camron-Stanford house was built by Samuel Merritt in 1876, and became Oakland’s first museum in 1907.

According to Bay Area News Group, the house closed in 2024 when its 20-year lease expired, and the Camron-Stanford House Preservation Association is raising funds to reopen it with a goal of $100,000. The house had been open for Sunday history tours in March.

Image: Oakland Fire Department