Crime & Safety
Demolition Work Begins At Site Of Christmas Fire In Los Altos
The demolition will allow investigators to safely access the building and complete a probe into the massive fire's origin.
LOS ALTOS, CA — Work began Wednesday to dismantle a 20,000-square-foot commercial building gutted in a massive three-alarm fire on Christmas in Los Altos.
The blaze drew dozens of firefighters to the scene throughout the day, with crews from Mountain View and Palo Alto helping the county contain the fire over seven hours.
The damage required the long-term closure of an eastbound stretch of El Camino Real due to the building's collapse risk, and fire officials said the structure was too unsafe for investigators to go inside and determine the cause.
Find out what's happening in Los Altosfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Demolition work that was initially slated to get underway earlier in the month finally moved forward late Wednesday afternoon.
Demolition has begun at the site of the Christmas day 3-alarm fire at 4600 El Camino Real in #LosAltos. Following completion of this work, the building will be deemed safe to enter and fire investigators can continue their work to determine the origin and cause of the fire. pic.twitter.com/XT14kmRFCn
— Santa Clara County Fire (@sccfiredept) January 25, 2024
According to city officials, contractors will spend the next few days removing the building's roof and second story, which should allow investigators to safely continue their probe into how the fire started.
Find out what's happening in Los Altosfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The eastbound closure of El Camino Real, between San Antonio Road and Sherwood Avenue, will remain in place until the demolition is complete.
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