Fundraiser Launched Following Blaze At Historic Camron-Stanford House

OAKLAND, CA — Community members are rallying to raise funds to help restore the historic Camron-Standford House following a sudden blaze over the weekend.

The Camron-Standford House went up in flames before 1 a.m. on Saturday, according to the Oakland Fire Department.

It's not yet clear what prompted the fire. Staff from the home, which is managed by the nonprofit, Camron-Stanford House Preservation Association, say it appears to have started outside before spreading to the home.

But thanks to a quick response from the Oakland Fire Department, only about 10% of the building suffered damage, according to staff from the home, which is managed by the nonprofit, Camron-Stanford House Preservation Association.

"The ability and speed with which the 28 firefighters were able to open up walls and get water on the fire prevented the fire from spreading rapidly and potentially consuming the entire structure," the Oakland Fire Department said in a statement.

The blaze happened just a month after the organization that runs the home announced it was reopening it and the museum area to the public.

For now, the events space and the museum will be closed, staff said.

A GoFundMe was started to help raise funds to repair and reopen the home to the public.

So far, it has raised $4,533 out of its $50,000 goal as of Tuesday morning.

"We are grateful for the outpour of support we have received from our community," the Camron-Stanford House Preservation Association said in a statement following the fire. "We are especially thankful for our partners at the City of Oakland who have been supporting our reopening and were among the first on scene to help us navigate next steps."

The Camron-Stanford House was built in 1876. In its heyday, before becoming a museum, it housed five families.

It served as the Oakland Public Museum for several decades before the Oakland Museum of California replaced it, and two others.

The house was designated a historic title in 1972 and became Oakland's No. 2 landmark three years later.