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Two-Alarm Fire Displaces 40 At San Jose Homeless Shelter

SAN JOSE (KCBS) — A two-alarm fire at San Jose has homeless shelter on Tuesday night displaced about 40 people—all women and children, authorities said.

The fire started on the third floor balcony at the InnVision Villa on 11th and E. San Antonio Streets—near San Jose State's fraternity row at about 5:37 p.m. The flames quickly spread to the roof of the structure but all forty residents were evacuated safely.

"Everybody was evacuated prior," San Jose Fire Capt. Rob Brown said. "The staff at the facility actually went door to door on the three different stories to make sure everybody was evacuated. So they did a good job getting everybody out."

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The fire was put out about 6 p.m. and most of the damage was done to the outside of the building but all three floors were damaged from smoke and water.

Brown said that an investigation is underway and that residents are being housed at other local shelters.

The fire is a likely challenge to housing the homeless in the South Bay where space is already limited.

(Copyright 2013 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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