San Jose Mercury News
SAN JOSE. Calif. — Firefighters have contained a massive five-alarm fire, but are continuing to pour water on the warehouse off Highway 101 to extinguish it, according to fire officials.
The fire, at a 120,000-square-foot building near North 28th and Julian streets, started before 5:30 a.m., fire officials said.
Heavy flames were shooting from the southern end of the structure as of 7 a.m. and traffic on Julian was closed, with police diverting vehicles. A large cloud of black smoke hovered over the scene as fire crews pounded the blaze with water. Parts of the building’s roof collapsed.
More than three hours after the first report, firefighters were still pouring water on the warehouse and expect to be on the scene for hours more.
Some residents on East Court were evacuated and residents of a nearby apartment complex were advised to shelter in place, but many people could be seen outside watching the fire.
PG&E shut off power to 4,035 customers to help firefighters, according to the utility.
The fire is believed to have started at the north end of the large. vacant warehouse, which was once home to a number of businesses, according to fire officials.
Brian Silveira, an employee of a business a few blocks from the warehouse, said he arrived at work at 5:30 a.m. and saw a few flames in one corner of the building. At that point fire crews had not arrived. Within minutes, the fire quickly spread, Silveira said.
An animal feed store was located in the warehouse, along with other businesses, Silveira said.
Nearby Rocketship Discovery Prep school and Empire Gardens Elementary School are both closed for the day, according to officials.
Some firefighters had just been cleared from a residential blaze on South 17th street when they got called to the massive warehouse blaze.
“We had released some firefighters and checked their vital signs and ... another structure fire,” Capt. Barry Ehlers.
Copyright 2013 San Jose Mercury News
All Rights Reserved