Three people were hospitalized after a fire broke out on the 600 block of Haight Avenue on Wednesday, January 29, shortly before 6 p.m., according to a KRON news report that confirmed the information with the Alameda Fire Department (AFD). Multiple people were displaced, the report stated.

Neighbors and onlookers posted information and questions about the fire on Facebook, including many who asked if Bosco the Pig, who lives “one door over” from the building that caught fire, was safe. The neighbor who confirmed Bosco’s location also confirmed that the beloved front-yard pig was unharmed, and noted that there were “13 emergency vehicles up and down Haight Avenue, literally end-to-end of the entire block.”
The fire was extinguished in 30 minutes, according to the KRON report.
Many commenters expressed their thanks to Alameda firefighters along with concern for the building’s residents. One neighbor commented, “Red Cross is providing temporary housing for a few days while things get sorted out.” She added that clothing and food might be the biggest immediate concerns, but noted that she was “not quite sure how we can assist just yet.”
One of the issues that several commenters mentioned was the crowd of people who filled the street and sidewalk to watch the fire. One neighbor commented: “The amount of onlookers blocking sidewalks and interfering with the emergency personnel’s ability to move freely was really frustrating. If you are not directly related to an event like this, please do not stand around the scene.”
She noted that, “Multiple times we had to ask people to move along, go home, and clear the space so equipment could be moved around and people in need of care could be identified and assessed.”
The same neighbor also suggested that parents talk with their children about fire safety and what they should do if it happens nearby. “We were home during the situation,” she said, “but it is good to have an action plan and knowledge of what to do in an emergency.”
The cause of this fire is under investigation.