Huge Fire Engulfs Santa Clara Condo Project
A huge fire engulfed a 56-unit condo development on El Camino Real in Santa Clara Friday morning.
The Santa Clara Fire Department declared the fire under control but not out at around 1 p.m. PT. One construction worker was injured attempting to escape the blaze and was transported to a local hospital, Fire Chief Bill Kelly told the San Francisco Chronicle.
#BREAKING: Firefighters are battling a massive fire burning at a construction site in Santa Clara. Watch SKY7: https://t.co/zoP7YlnSKW pic.twitter.com/nC7AyRQeXZ
— ABC7 News (@abc7newsbayarea) June 28, 2019
UPDATE: THE FIRE IS UNDER CONTOL BUT NOT OUT. OVERHAUL OPERATIONS UNDERWAY FOR AN INDETERMINATE PERIOD OF TIME. EL CAMINO IS CLOSED IN BOTH DIRECTIONS BETWEEN LINCOLN AND SCOTT. AVOID THE AREA. FIRE CAUSE INVESTIGATION UNDERWAY pic.twitter.com/QzsXugIeel
— Santa Clara CA Fire (@SantaClaraFD) June 28, 2019
The four-story development sits on a 1.51-acre plot and was approved by the city in 2017. It was set for occupancy this year.
Legend USA, the developer of the project, issued a statement saying that the one person was injured from a sprained ankle but that they have "verified with our on-site staff that everyone is safe."
"We will work with local authorities and related companies to conduct a thorough review of what happened and how to effectively prevent any such instances from happening in the future," the company stated.
The building, branded as Antara Villas, was one of the first two projects for Legend USA, according to the developer's website. The marketing website for Antara Villas notes that, when complete, it would have been built with fire resistant concrete tile on the roof and a fire sprinkler system.
Friday morning's fire is the latest in multiple fires that have swept Bay Area housing developments as of late. Conflagrations of the sort have become especially prevalent in Oakland. The Chronicle counted and mapped nine in the East Bay since 2012 as of October, with an alleged arsonist charged for involvement in one instance.
Officials have not yet provided any details as to the cause of the fire.
