Aug 1, 2008 1:45 pm US/Pacific
Fire At Hayward Charity Warehouse Investigated
HAYWARD (BCN) ―
Authorities are investigating the cause of a three-alarm fire near Hayward in Alameda County Thursday that destroyed the warehouse of a nonprofit organization and severely damaged a nearby church, fire officials said.
The blaze was reported around 3:15 p.m. at a warehouse owned by Hope for the Heart, which functions as a food bank and donates toys throughout the Bay Area, Alameda County fire spokeswoman Aisha Knowles said.
The fire, which was knocked down in about 80 minutes, also spread to the nearby Seventh-Day Adventist Spanish Church, which Knowles said sustained severe damage.
Fire investigators were able to identify the area of the fire's origin, on the center of the rear wall of the Hope for the Heart warehouse, but had yet to identify a cause, fire officials said.
The Hope for the Heart building was a "total loss" and was completely destroyed, including 90-100 pallets of toys being restored for the holiday season, Knowles said.
She added that the organization offered resources to all nine Bay Area counties, and firefighters with the Alameda County Fire Department had volunteered with them in the past.
"This is a place that is very close to all of us," Knowles said.
Knowles also said she spoke with someone from the organization who said, "God is good and everything will work out."
There were no reported injuries from either building affected by the fire.
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