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Fire Breaks Out At Teachers Union Offices In San Jose

SAN JOSE (CBS SF) – Two teachers associations are working to set up temporary offices after a fire burned in their shared office building in San Jose early Thursday morning, according to a fire department spokesman.

Fire crews were called to 888 S. Capitol Ave. at 2:11 a.m. to the scene of a two-alarm fire. The last truck left an estimated three hours later.

Capt. Mitch Matlow said he spoke to representatives from both the Evergreen Teachers Association and the Mt. Hamilton California Teachers Association after the blaze was put out.

Those associations are setting up short-term facilities in order to serve the certificated employees they represent, Matlow said.

San Jose CTA Fire
Firefighters on the scene of a fire at California Teachers Association offices on South Capitol Avenue in San Jose, May 31, 2018. (CBS)

At this time, fire officials are still not certain where the fire started.

Matlow said he knows there was a previous fire on the roof of the building in mid-March but he did not have any further details on that incident.

The most damage in Thursday's fire was done to the roof, which has a large hole now, he said. One room sustained serious fire damage and adjacent rooms have significant water damage.

Matlow said the associations will not be able to occupy their offices for "a while" since the whole building has smoke damage too.

© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. and Bay City News Service. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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