Crime & Safety

Firefighters Contain Two-Alarm Fire at Mowry Crossing

No injuries were reported from the fire that started inside the former Rasputin Music Store, according to firefighters.

Alameda County Fire crews have contained a two-alarm structure fire that burned inside a Mowry Crossing store next to Tuesday night.

Alameda County Deputy Fire Chief David Rocha said the fire started inside the former Rasputin Music Store on Mowry Avenue around 9:18 p.m.

“It was started by somebody who may have been trying to stay warm,” Rocha said.

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Firefighters found graffiti, trash, food and other evidence that people were using the abandoned store.

Rasputin, Dollar Tree and other stores at the Mowry Crossing shopping center have , following in the footsteps of the 20,000-square-foot Circuit City and the 80,000-square-foot Mervyn’s.

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Rocha says Alameda County firefighters have used the structure for fire training in the past.

“We saw a lot of smoke blowing out of the holes cut for past training sessions,” Rocha said.

According to Rocha, Tuesday night’s fire damaged the walls and burned into the roof material.

No injuries were reported.

Rocha said he may not call for an arson investigator because the building was abandoned and the damage was fairly limited.

Alameda County Fire spokeswoman Aisha Knowles said firefighters reported seeing flames shooting through the roof when they first arrived on scene.

Knowles said it took firefighters about 30 minutes to knock down the fire.

BJs employee Adrienne Randel said she saw some flames coming from the building as firefighters worked on containing the fire.

“We had about 100 customers inside,” Randel said. “Some didn’t even know about the fire until they left the restaurant."

According to Rocha, the restaurant did not have to be evacuated because firefighters had the scene under control.

Rocha said 49 firefighters responded to the Mowry Crossing fire, along with nine engines, three trucks and one heavy rescue vehicle. Crews from Fremont Fire and Hayward Fire Departments offered mutual aid to crews on scene.


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