A vacant Walgreens building on Macdonald Avenue caught fire early Wednesday morning, sending Richmond firefighters into action before dawn.

Richmond firefighters were dispatched just before 2:30 a.m. to the 1200 block of Macdonald Avenue, where smoke and flames were seen coming from the roofline of the old pharmacy, according to Richmond Firefighters Local 188.

Crews worked for several hours to contain and extinguish the blaze. No injuries were reported, and firefighters remained on the scene through the morning to douse lingering hot spots, the union said in a social media post.

The former Walgreens building on the 1200 block of Macdonald Avenue shows fire damage after a blaze was extinguished by firefighters.

The building, which has been vacant for some time, sustained significant damage to the roof and upper portions. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

The former Walgreens, located near downtown Richmond, has been closed since January 2025.

Walgreens to shutter 2 more Oakland stores after wave of SF closures
Five stores are now slated to close in the East Bay.

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