The
warehouse fire, which started around
9:30 p.m., destroyed about 75 percent of
the building at 659 Hegenberger Road,
according to Drayton.
After
battling the blaze for more than two
hours, firefighters finally got the fire
under control around midnight, said
Drayton.
Drayton said
the fire was so large it required a
five-alarm response from the Oakland
Fire Department and an additional
two-alarm response from an Alameda
County mutual aid team.
No one
was injured.
The
single-story warehouse, which used to be
the home of a large hardware store, has
been vacant for four years, said
Drayton.
A private
developer recently purchased the
building, she added. Drayton said the
city of Oakland had issued a permit to
allow demolition of the warehouse, and
the owner was planning to erect
residential and commercial buildings on
the site.
Drayton
said, "The Oakland Police Department had
removed transients from that location in
the past," but she could not confirm
whether anyone was camping near the
warehouse Wednesday night.
According
to Drayton, the Oakland police and fire
departments, an Alameda County arson
squad and representatives from the
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and
Explosives are currently conducting an
on-site investigation into possible
causes of the fire.
Copyright
2005 by Bay City News, Inc.
Republication, re-transmission or reuse
without the express written consent of
Bay City News, Inc. Is prohibited.
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