San Mateo Fire Destroys House, Prompts Temporary Closures

SAN MATEO, CA — A fire sent a large plume of black smoke into the Peninsula sky on Thursday, burning and destroying a local home in the process. The blaze was reported alongside Highway 101 in the San Mateo area around 11 a.m.

Preliminary California Highway Patrol reports indicated the house burned in a neighborhood adjacent to the highway, in the area of Norton Street and Kehoe Avenue. The San Mateo Consolidated Fire Department said the two-alarm fire also spread to nearby buildings.

Several neighboring streets as well as the Kehoe Avenue off-ramp from northbound U.S. Highway 101 were closed in response to the fire.

The first crews to arrive saw heavy smoke coming from the rear of the home. They immediately "went into rescue mode" and entered the main house but found no one inside, according to Fire Marshal Robert Marshall.

The fire spread to two outbuildings, destroying one and damaging the other, Marshall said.

The approximately 30 firefighters who arrived in 14 fire engines that were called to the location brought the fire under control in about 45 minutes, according to Marshall.

Occupants of the home got out in time, and did not suffer any injuries. The Kehoe off-ramp from northbound Highway 101 was re-opened after a couple of hours, Marshall said.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation, according to Marshall.

#NortonIC pic.twitter.com/sTzZ46pSqC
— San Mateo Consolidated Fire Department (@SMCFireDept) June 13, 2019

Fire off of the 101 in San Mateo @ABC7 pic.twitter.com/s80QoNnskK
— Hint of Wellness (@hintofwellness) June 13, 2019

— Bay City News Service contributed to this report