4 Homes Under Construction Destroyed In Hayward Fire
HAYWARD (CBS SF) - Four two-story homes under construction were destroyed and eight others suffered some sort of damage after a fire at a housing development in Hayward early Thursday morning, according to fire officials.
Authorities said nobody was injured and the cause of the fire -- including whether the blaze was intentionally set -- remained under investigation.
The one-alarm blaze was first reported at 2:15 a.m. on Toomey Terrace, Battalion Chief Mike Hildebrand said. An additional six homes sustained damage.
The damage ranges from broken windows and burnt roofs to garage doors warped from the heat across the street.
Although it was contained at 2:45 a.m., Hildebrand said fire crews remain at the scene on fire watch.
Victoria Ugaki, who lives in the neighborhood, was awaken by the blaze.
"My room was orange, so when I pulled my blinds down, and I saw part of the house on fire, I thought, am I dreaming?," Ugaki told KPIX 5.
She saw the fire coming through the window and spreading to the attic.
Fellow neighbor Chris Doan said the blaze grew quickly.
"It was a roaring fire," he said. "It looked like it was spreading pretty quick, so we didn't want to stick around for it."
Hayward Fire Battalion Chief Ryan Hamre said it will be tough to determine given the amount of damage.
"Due to the high intensity conditions, the evidence, a lot of it gets destroyed and there's a lot of rubble to go through."
The permits for these projects are still good, so the company, Blue Mountain Communities, can start rebuilding as soon as the investigation into the fire is over.
Investigators told KPIX 5 there's no indication Thursday's fire may be related to at least seven other fires at East Bay construction sites.
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