65 Firefighters Tackle Lake Merritt, California Blaze

The Oakland Fire Department responded to a four-alarm fire that demolished the top floor of a three-story apartment building at 624 Brooklyn Ave., near Lake Merritt, at 5:20 p.m. Oct. 9.

According to Battalion Chief James Edwards, 65 firefighters worked for an hour and 20 minutes before the fire went out. The cause of the blaze is still being investigated, he said. "The apartment was filled with personal items," Edwards said. "Firefighters had to crawl over items to get through the front door."

One firefighter, who was injured at the scene, was treated at the hospital and then released.

A resident of the complex was also treated for burns. There was significant damage to the top floor of the building, as well as some water damage to the apartments below. The fire department and other investigators have not yet determined the complete monetary cost of the damage.