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Richmond officials say a section of Carlson Boulevard will remain closed until demolition work begins at a fire-damaged Public Storage facility, following a three-alarm blaze that burned for nearly a full day over the Christmas holiday.
Richmond Fire Chief Aaron Osorio told the Richmond Neighborhood Coordinating Council that the fire broke out around midnight on Christmas Eve at the Public Storage facility at 398 Carlson Boulevard and quickly escalated to three alarms, requiring every fire engine in the city and mutual aid from El Cerrito and Contra Costa fire departments. Osorio said fire crews did not clear the scene until about 10 p.m. the following night.
Richmond firefighters battle blaze at Public Storage facility on Carlson Boulevard
Firefighters battled a fire Wednesday morning at a Public Storage facility at 398 Carlson Boulevard, attacking the blaze from two ladder trucks as heavy smoke rose from the building. Smoke from the fire is visible in the surrounding area, including Ohio Avenue and Carlson Boulevard/South 37th Street, city officials
Soren Hemmila
"A lot of folks are wondering when that's going to open up, and unfortunately, we don't have a response for them yet," Osorio said. "As we phase out of an emergency operation and it transitioned into a recovery and a demolition operation, fire department is no longer the lead agency."
On January 7, Public Storage applied for a demolition permit with the city, Osorio said, adding that the city is working to expedite the review process. Osorio said officials hope demolition will begin soon and that Carlson Boulevard can reopen once the hazardous wall is taken down.
“Once that wall, the concrete wall on Carlson, is down, then we can reopen Carlson Boulevard," Osorio said. “The concrete walls on the Carlson side are actually starting to bow out towards Carlson, which is why we had Carlson shut down.”
City records show the permit calls for the partial demolition of the existing fire-damaged two-story structure at 398 Carlson Boulevard, with the slab-on-grade and foundations to remain.
Osorio said the entire wing of the building burned and that the fire caused significant structural damage, including the collapse of the roof and second floor. He said the building remains unsafe to enter, preventing investigators from reaching the origin of the fire, which remains under investigation.
Osorio apologized to residents and commuters for the continued closure, saying the decision was made for public safety. Osorio also noted that firefighters must use the same detours as the public while the street remains closed.
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