A two-alarm fire gutted an East Palo Alto home, causing the structure to collapse on Monday morning. The fire began at about 6:19 a.m. on the 600 block of Bell Street at the corner of Capitol Avenue. It quickly engulfed the entire structure.
A fire station is located one block away, but the blaze rose through the one-story building rapidly, neighbors who called 911 said.
The side of Danny Mariscal’s family home was also singed black by the blaze.
“The window to my brother’s room shattered (from the heat),” he said of the heat.
Neighbors said the house was old and was being renovated. Construction had been ongoing for some time. Fire officials were aware of the construction, said Dan Belville, interim fire chief for the Menlo Park Fire Protection District.
The owner had been staying in the garage adjacent to the home, he said. Firefighters were able to save the garage. They searched the home and the garage but did not find anyone else in the buildings, he said.
“It was surprising how big it was and how fast it burned,” he said.
Firefighters evacuated two adjacent homes. No one was injured. Two inspectors are investigating the cause of the fire, he said.
Videographer John Hally, who lives nearby, took a video of the blaze.
How terrible to lose their home! How can people help?
Let’s hope the fire wasnt intentionally but on the other side is a good thing nobody got hurt