Imagine working on a building for an entire year, only to come to your jobsite and find that it had burned to the ground. That was the reality for a construction crew in Oakland last week, when a massive five-alarm fire started overnight and completely destroyed all of their hard work.
At the time of the fire, about 80% of the work had been completed on the 41-unit residential building, according to NBC4 Los Angeles. The reported $6-million project caused a bit of a controversy in the neighborhood when it was approved, as tenants of the existing properties on the site had to relocate to make way for the new building.
It’s currently unclear what started the fire, but thankfully no one was injured, as no workers were on site at the time. The fire also did not spread to neighboring houses, which was a huge relief for firefighters and the nearby residents. It’s reminiscent of a 2014 Houston apartment complex, in which a small fire grew into a massive fire and engulfed the entire $50 million project. AN incredible video was released of a worker, who was trapped on the 5th floor and had to swing himself onto a 4th floor balcony to avoid the growing flames. You can watch that video by clicking here.
CBS SF Bay Area shared raw video footage of the fire and it’s super intense. Below the raw footage, you can check out some news footage from The CBS news team.
Full story: 'Huge Balls of Flames' Rips Into Oakland Construction Site | NBC4
On Tuesday morning, February 23, the Syracuse Fire Department responded to a call about a collapsed crane on a construction site near the university. Thankfully, no injuries were reported.