8-Alarm Fire Guts Building As Crews Battle Winds In Redwood City

REDWOOD CITY, CA — Peninsula first responders contained a large fire burning Monday in North Fair Oaks and kept flames from spreading to nearby structures, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office.

Fire crews rushed to the scene on Middlefield Road after the blaze ignited on the fifth floor of an apartment building under construction. Firefighters battled gusty winds into the afternoon as the multi-agency response was upgraded to eight alarms.

Footage published by NBC Bay Area showed visible flames and dense smoke billowing from a large development. The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office urged neighbors living near the scene on Pacific and Calvin avenues to evacuate immediately and asked all others to avoid the area.

A few minutes later, the sheriff's office expanded the evacuation zone to include a stretch of Dumbarton Avenue from the train tracks to Middlefield Road. In an afternoon update, the sheriff's office said a temporary evacuation site would be operating at Veterans Memorial Senior Center.

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District issued an air quality advisory warning of localized smoke impacts from the fire, which the agency could affect neighbors in Redwood City, Palo Alto, Mountain View, Santa Clara and San Jose.

Officials confirmed the fire was contained by 3 p.m., and the sheriff's office said most evacuated households would be able to return home Monday afternoon.