Arson investigators were trying to figure out what sparked a four-alarm fire in downtown San Jose early Thursday that ripped through an historic 1860s building undergoing construction.
The huge fire forced the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority to replace light rail trains that usually run near the building at 89 South First Street with bus service.
Fire crews worked Thursday afternoon to tear down a freestanding rear wall and locate several smoldering hot spots left by the blaze that broke out about 2 a.m. See News Video
Within two hours of the time the flames were reported, the building’s rear wall had collapsed while a leaking gas line helped to feed the fire. Those conditions created a “very dangerous zone,” Fire Capt. Anthony Pianto said.
Crews were finally able to shut off the gas valve and contain the flames before the blaze could spread to nearby threatened structures, which included St. Joseph’s Cathedral.
More than 80 firefighters battled the blaze that reduced the two-story building built in 1867 to its shell. It had been one of the last remaining historic structures in downtown San Jose.
“The most beautiful part, the insides, is completely destroyed,” lamented building owner Barry Swenson of the Swenson Company. The company was in the process of renovating the building. “Nobody loves historic buildings like our company does, it’s a tragedy. The insides were classical. They are completely gone. The building’s completely gone.”
No injuries were reported, and the cause of the fire remained under investigation — although Swenson theorized that a homeless person might have broken into the building and started a fire to stay warm overnight.
Firefighters planned to stay on scene through at least Friday morning to secure the scene, according to officials.
The arson squad was investigating from a distance, for the time being, because of the obvious instability of the building. “This is like a wounded animal, if I can use that analogy,” one firefighter said. “It can still hurt us, it can still bite you in a big way.”
(Source: CBS5.com) Photo By Craig Allyn Rose EmergencyPhoto.com
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