Marc Albert

A house on Versailles Avenue burned early Sunday morning despite stormy weather; gusty winds may have assisted in rekindling the fire.

Residents safe as home burns in the night

An early morning blaze swept through a single-family, two-story Mediterranean Revival stucco home on the 900 block of Versailles Avenue Jan. 27, causing major damage to the structure. The fire went to a second alarm, with the Oakland Fire Department filling in as backup.

All seven family members got out of the house on their own, according to Matt Tunney, division chief at Alameda Fire Department. However, two members were transported to Alameda Hospital, suffering from "significant" smoke inhalation.

Firefighters were dispatched at 2:32 a.m. and arrived to find heavy smoke and fire pouring out of the ground floor. Arriving firefighters met with the residents of the home who said that all were accounted for.

Firefighters aggressively attacked the fire from inside the home and brought the fire under control. Fire department officials described damage to the home as "extensive" and "severe" from flames and smoke.

Shortly after departing the scene, firefighters received a second call at 5:53 a.m. — the fire had re-ignited. Because of the construction of the house, which is early 20th-century with the extensive use of lath and plaster inside, "there was probably a hot spot hidden," in the walls, according to Tunney.

Firefighters again attacked the blaze with pre-connected hoses and quickly extinguished all of the flames. Firefighters determined that smoldering material left over from the first fire ignited some unburned debris in the home. There were also prevailing winds from the south overnight, which may have contributed to the re-ignition. There was no rain at the time but a heavy mist was falling. The second call went to just one alarm, and a firewatch was posted to ensure the structure remained under control.

As the residents have other family members in town, the Red Cross was not called to assist in living arrangements. The fire's cause was not determined and remains under investigation; however, arson is not suspected and the fire likely started on the ground floor, said Tunney. The Alameda Police Department was called in to assist in photographing the structure for evidence of the cause and origin of the fire.

There were no further injuries reported.

(This incident is also reported in the Fire Wire.)