Crews battle fire at historic Lorenzo Theater in San Lorenzo

SAN LORENZO, Calif. -- Alameda County Fire Department crews are at the scene of a fire that started about 5:30 p.m. Friday at the historic Lorenzo Theater at 16080 Hesperian Blvd. in the unincorporated community of San Lorenzo.

The public is being advised to avoid the area.

WATCH: SKY7 video of Alameda County Fire Department crews battling a fire at the historic Lorenzo Theater in San Lorenzo

Alameda County Fire Department crews at the scene of a fire at the historic Lorenzo Theater in San Lorenzo.

The 73-year-old theater closed in 1982, according to Cinema Treasures, and the nonprofit organization Lorenzo Theater Foundation was formed in 1999 to work for its preservation and restoration.

The theater was designated as a California Historic Resource in 2001, according to Cinema Treasures.