Oakland Firefighters Stop Four‑Alarm Warehouse Blaze \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ A four-alarm fire broke out at a commercial warehouse near Oakland Coliseum Friday afternoon. Over 70 firefighters responded, containing the blaze by early evening. No injuries were reported, and defensive tactics prevented major spread to nearby homes.
Quick Looks
- Four-alarm fire erupted at East 8th Street warehouse.
- Fire first reported ~4:55 p.m., quickly escalated through alarms.
- Over 70 firefighters halted forward progress by 6 p.m.
- Defensive strategy saved adjacent homes, warehouses from fire.
- Blaze destroyed warehouse, spread to RVs and adjacent building.
- No injuries reported among firefighters or civilians.
- Possible marijuana grow operation inside building under investigation.
- Fire Chief and Battalion Chief credited quick containment efforts.
Deep Look
A massive four-alarm fire broke out near the Oakland Coliseum on the evening of July 3, drawing a large-scale emergency response and raising concerns about a potential marijuana grow operation inside the affected commercial property.
The Oakland Fire Department (OFD) first received reports of the fire at approximately 4:55 p.m. within a commercial building located on the 5200 block of East 8th Street. Within minutes of arriving on scene, the fire’s size and spread prompted officials to elevate the incident to a two-alarm status. Shortly after, it was escalated to a four-alarm fire, underscoring the seriousness of the situation.
According to OFD Fire Chief Damon Covington, the rapid growth of the fire posed a significant threat to the surrounding area. “This easily could have been a two or three block radius fire had the crews not acted so quickly to get it under control,” Covington told local media outlet KTVU. His statement highlighted the speed and effectiveness of the firefighters, who worked to contain the fire before it could spread to a broader section of East Oakland.
Battalion Chief Porya Jeddi provided further insight into the scale and unusual nature of the fire. By the time firefighters arrived, the entire one-story warehouse was already engulfed in flames—an atypical development for a structure of that size. “On a bigger building like this, we usually have some time to recover. However, upon arrival, the whole warehouse was gone,” Jeddi said.
During initial on-site investigations, an officer from the Oakland Police Department reported speaking with a tenant who disclosed the possible existence of a marijuana grow operation inside the warehouse. While authorities did not confirm the legality of the grow or its direct connection to the fire, it adds a layer of complexity to the ongoing investigation. Cannabis grow operations, especially unregulated ones, have been known to pose fire hazards due to electrical overloads or improper equipment use.
Given the fire’s scale, firefighters quickly switched to defensive tactics, focusing their efforts on containing the blaze and preventing it from jumping to nearby buildings. Their efforts were largely successful—while some damage was reported to RVs in the vicinity and an adjacent abandoned structure, residential homes were spared from the flames.
Despite the challenges posed by the magnitude of the fire, the Oakland Fire Department managed to halt the fire’s forward progress by approximately 6 p.m. More than 70 firefighters were deployed in the operation, which remained active into the early evening as crews worked to extinguish the remaining hotspots and secure the perimeter.
No injuries were reported among emergency personnel or civilians, a testament to the swift coordination of response teams and the evacuation protocols in place. Fire crews remained on site into the night to prevent rekindling and assess any structural hazards posed by the burned-out building.
Authorities continue to investigate the origin and cause of the fire, including the potential role of the suspected marijuana grow operation. In the coming days, officials are expected to conduct a thorough inspection of the site to gather evidence and determine whether the fire was accidental or the result of negligence.
The incident marks one of the more significant fires in Oakland this year, reigniting conversations around the safety of commercial buildings, the risks of unlicensed cannabis operations, and the importance of rapid-response emergency services in densely populated urban areas.
As investigations continue, the Oakland community and local authorities are calling for more stringent oversight of industrial zones near residential areas, particularly in regions vulnerable to fire hazards.
Oakland Firefighters Stop Oakland Firefighters Stop
