AUSD issues Shelter in Place due to smoke
A backyard fire that broke out on the 3200 block of Otis Drive at about 11:45 a.m. on Monday, September 22, damaged a house and three outbuildings, according to an Alameda Fire Department (AFD) report [1] on X (formerly known as Twitter). Firefighters were able to keep the blaze from spreading to nearby homes.
[2]Due to concerns about the smoke, Alameda Unified School District (AUSD) issued a shelter in place for Otis Elementary and Lincoln Middle schools, located a few blocks away from the site of the fire.
The shelter in place was lifted at 12:15 p.m. “per the instructions of the Alameda Fire Department,” according to an AUSD post [3] on Facebook. “All staff and students are safe.”
The blaze damaged a pair of detached garages and backyard sheds that were in the backyard, AFD spokesperson Kevin Tidwell told the East Bay Times [4]. According to that report, fire crews saw smoke and fire burning in the backyard of the residence when they arrived on the scene.
The fire spread to the detached garages and backyard sheds, and damaged the house. Fortunately, the AFD crew of 33 firefighters at the scene were able to put the fire out within 25 minutes, and were able to keep it from spreading to any other nearby buildings. The two homes situated directly behind the one where the fire started were not affected.
AFD firefighters remained at the scene past 1:30 p.m. to monitor hot spots and clean up. Residents were asked to avoid the area though Monday evening.