SACRAMENTO, Calif — A new affordable housing site in Sacramento experience a major setback following a massive fire.
Sacramento firefighters noticed smoke coming from the building off Broadway as they were returning from a call around 1 a.m. There were about 100 firefighters on scene battling the fire at one point.
Almost all the neighbors who live in the area said they have questions about how the fire started and what safety mechanisms are in place to prevent this from happening again.
Neighbors said it was concerning to see the building, which was meant for future affordable housing, engulfed by fire. The blaze melted a nearby trash can and railroad light fixtures.
"I have a family of five that lives here and to have a major construction project engulfed in flames right across the street, was very alarming," said Lateaka Burks, a neighbor in the area.
In August, Sacramento city and county officials and the housing nonprofit EAH Housing broke ground on the 140-unit affordable housing complex.
"On Broadway is a vital project that will bring badly needed affordable housing and increased economic vitality to the Broadway Corridor. We are disappointed that it will be delayed but so grateful for the tireless efforts of our firefighters, who worked into the early hours this morning and saved half of the project along Broadway,” said Mayor Darrell Steinberg in a statement.
The mayor's office is in talks with EAH Housing and is offering them support.
In a statement, EAH Housing said the following:
While a significant portion of the property was impacted, we remain committed to this community and our mission of delivering 140 much-needed accessible and affordable homes. We will begin the clean-up process and restart construction as soon as possible.
The Sacramento Fire Department said the cause of the fire is under investigation.
Nearby residents said the timing of the fire is odd because they finished putting the walls up the day before.
"Not anybody specifically but yeah, there's always rumblings of people, not wanting it there and concerns about bringing the neighborhood down and things like that," said Jeanne Neal, another neighbor on Broadway.
Investigators are tasked with figuring out where the fire started.
"There are cameras onsite, so our investigators will request that footage. It's going to take quite some time to go through all of that footage. But hopefully, that will give us some type of lead on which direction this is gonna go," said Fire Capt. Justin Sylvia, spokesman for Sacramento Fire Department.
WATCH ALSO:
