A fast-moving fire at a four-story apartment building in Oakland on Tuesday night displaced more than a dozen households and left one cat dead, authorities said.
Fire crews were dispatched just before 8 p.m. to a 66-unit complex on the 200 block of Fairmount Avenue, according to Oakland Fire Department Battalion Chief Anthony Sanders.
When firefighters arrived, flames and heavy smoke were pouring from a third-floor unit and spreading upward.
“The fire itself was pretty challenging,” Sanders said in a social media post. “This building does not have a standpipe system in it, so all the water we have to bring in is through fire hoses all the way from the engine to the fire itself. So it did take a minute for crews to get lines in place.”
The fire ultimately damaged four units and forced residents of roughly 11 to 12 apartments to leave due to smoke and fire damage, Sanders said. The American Red Cross was assisting displaced residents with temporary housing, according to authorities.
Firefighters used ladders to rescue some tenants who retreated to balconies. No injuries were reported, officials said.
One cat died in the unit where the fire originated, likely from smoke inhalation, Sanders said. Other pets were rescued as residents fled.
The blaze was brought under control in about 20 minutes after escalating to a second alarm, Sanders said. He credited the rapid response, including a recently reopened Engine 10 fire station, with preventing injuries.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, officials said.
This article originally published at Oakland blaze forces evacuations, firefighters rescue tenants from balconies.