Crime & Safety
Firefighters Still At Scene Of Concord Apartment Building Fire
A neighboring bakery on Willow Pass Road has been forced to close on a temporary basis as a result of the fire that destroyed 180 units.
CONCORD, CA — Firefighters this morning are still at the scene of a three-alarm blaze that burned 180 apartments that were still under construction early Tuesday, resulting in two smoke inhalation injuries and roughly $55 million in damage.
The fire was reported in a 2.78-acre build site near the intersection of Galindo Street and Clayton Road around 12:55 a.m. It collapsed a five-story wall of scaffolding, and led to the evacuation of roughly 260 residents of a neighboring complex. As of Tuesday afternoon, those people still could not go home out of concerns that the burnt structure could collapse further, potentially impacting their apartments.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Find out what's happening in Concordfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Alpine Pastry & Cakes, a neighboring bakery listed at 1848 Willow Pass Road, has been forced to close on a temporary basis as a result of the fire, according to its website. Its building sustained water damage, but they're cleaning up the facility and hope to reopen soon.
Contra Costa County health officials issued a health advisory to warn nearby residents with pre-existing pulmonary issues that smoke and other pollutants in the air as a result of the fire could be hazardous to their
health.
Find out what's happening in Concordfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
That advisory was lifted at 7:39 a.m., but area residents are still advised to dampen any ash or debris before sweeping it up and avoid sweeping that material into storm drains where it could adversely impact the
watershed.
The building is said to have been roughly 60 percent completed, with exposed timber framing and no sheetrock to prevent the spread of the fire, making this fire similar to several others that destroyed apartment
complexes that were under construction in Oakland and Emeryville during 2016 and 2017.
Those fires were determined to be acts of arson and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives announced in July a $100,000 reward for information leading to the suspect's arrest and conviction.
The ATF has also been called in to assist with the investigation into Tuesday's fire in Concord.
- RELATED COVERAGE: Concord Apartment Building Fire: 'We Will Rebuild,' Mayor Says
By Bay City News Service
Photo courtesy Contra Costa County Fire Protection District
