How To Help the 33 Adults, 13 Children Now Homeless After Area Apartment Fire

SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CA – A three-alarm apartment fire displaced nearly 50 people Sunday morning in Sunnyvale, a department of public safety spokesman said.

Crews responded to a fire reported in a second-floor unit at Bonnie Terrace Apartments in the 600 block of Gail Avenue shortly after 9 a.m., public safety Capt. Shawn Ahearn said.

When firefighters arrived they found flames had spread to two upstairs apartments and an attic, Ahearn said.

Crews quickly called for a three-alarm response as the fire affected a dozen units and extinguished the blaze by about 10:30 a.m., according to Ahearn.

Crews had difficulty finding hot spots in many hidden spaces within the complex, Ahearn said.

No injuries were reported.

The fire destroyed two second-floor units and left significant smoke and water damage to the two apartments directly below them, Ahearn said.

Other apartments on either side of the four units affected were left with smoke damage, according to Ahearn.

A damage estimate wasn't immediately available Thursday afternoon.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

The blaze displaced 13 children and 33 adults who received housing assistance and other support services with from the American Red Cross and Sunnyvale Community Services, Ahearn said.

"Braly School opened up their cafeteria for the day, and Red Cross volunteers met with families to make sure they had a place to stay overnight," the community services agency said.

Sunnyvale Community Services is accepting monetary donations and gift cards from retailers such as Target and grocery stores to help the displaced. Contributions can be made at the nonprofit's office at 725 Kifer
Road in Sunnyvale or online at http://www.svcommunityservices.org.

Other fire updates this week from the Bay Area:

• Discarded Cigarette Possible Cause Of Fire That Demolished 4 Homes, Damaged 10 Others, Injured 2, Killed Cat
• Sawmill Fire Hits 100% Containment In Sonoma County
• Soberanes Fire Containment Jumps To 92%
• Iron Horse Trail Arson Suspect Sought For Setting Trail Fires
• Tuesday's Closure Of Richmond-San Rafael Bridge Made For Nightmarish Commutes In North Bay
• Loma Fire Grows To 4,147 Acres; Containment At 34%
• Sawmill Fire Is 95% Contained In Sonoma County
• Teen Playing With Matches Catches Marin Co. Home, Trees On Fire
• Crews Contain 12-Acre Blaze Near Greenfield
• Lockhart Gulch Road Fire: Fully Contained in Scotts Valley

--Bay City News/Image via Sunnyvale Community Services