20 displaced after massive fire destroys Alameda County townhomes
EMERYVILLE, Calif. (KGO) -- A massive fire on the Emeryville/Oakland border caused dozens of people to jump out of bed and get to safety fast Wednesday morning. Some people have lost their homes, while others don't know when they're going to get back into their homes.
"I woke up, saw through the orange shade and thought that's really kind of funny. The sun doesn't come up in that direction," said Steve Oliver, evacuee.
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Oliver and dozens of other residents grabbed what they could and got out of their nearby homes as the huge construction project burned brightly in the early morning hours. Later in the morning, the normally busy stretch of West Macarthur Boulevard between Market and Apgar streets looked like a ghost town,
"You could hear it all, and far away from it as possible," said Alexandra Grant, evacuee.
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Grant and her family escaped the flames, and they'll likely be able to go home, hopefully sometime today. But that won't be the case for those who lived in at least four townhomes destroyed by the flames.
The Red Cross said they're working with 20 people displaced by the fire. Right now, they are being offered food and drinks, as Red Cross works on setting up a more permanent place for evacuees to go.
"Now where are you going?" asked ABC7's Matt Keller.
"I'm going to find a friend's house and actually take a shower," said Grant
So yeah, have to get myself together for the day and figure it out right now, so.
The Red Cross said they expect to set up a more permanent shelter at the Emeryville Senior Center. They'll decide if they'll have people sleep there, or if they'll give them money for a hotel.
