Cause of 3 Alarm Oakland Fire Pinpointed

OAKLAND, CA - A three-alarm fire that started in the basement of a commercial building in downtown Oakland early Sunday morning caused about $100,000 in damage and appears to be accidental, according to fire officials.

Firefighters first received a report of the fire at 4:35 a.m. at 1322 Webster St., according to Battalion Chief Tracey Chin.
Upon arrival, firefighters found that the fire was burning in the building's basement, Chin said.

Firefighters were eventually able to knock down the fire just over an hour after the initial call.

Although the fire did not spread past the building's basement, firefighters had to cut a hole in the floor of the first story in order to access parts of the basement and to make sure the fire had been completely extinguished, according to Fire Investigator Maria Sabatini.

The building sustained considerable smoke damage, Sabatini said.

After an investigation, fire officials determined the fire started when a fault occurred within the building's electric system, causing a fluorescent light attached to the basement's ceiling to catch fire, according
to Sabatini.

There were no reports of any injuries as a result of the fire.

--Bay City News; Image via Shutterstock