Apartment fire displaces seven in Atascadero
Fire spread from second-story balcony into attic before crews arrived
– Seven residents were displaced after a fire damaged a four-unit apartment building Tuesday morning in Atascadero, according to a press release from Atascadero Fire & Emergency Services.
Firefighters responded at 10:07 a.m. to a reported multi-family residential structure fire at 5470 Robles Ave. Atascadero police officers and the Atascadero Fire & Emergency Services battalion chief arrived to find an exterior balcony of a second-story apartment actively burning. The fire had already spread into the attic.
After completing a full assessment of the building, the battalion chief confirmed extensive fire throughout the attic and continued the full structure fire response.
Six engines, one ladder truck, three command vehicles, and 23 personnel from Atascadero Fire & Emergency Services, Templeton Fire, Cal Fire San Luis Obispo County, and Santa Margarita Fire responded to the incident.
At the time of dispatch, both Atascadero Fire & Emergency Services engines were assigned to medical emergencies. Engine 7591 cleared Twin Cities Hospital after completing a patient transfer and responded to the fire. When crews arrived, firefighters found significant fire throughout the attic and accessed it through the main apartment by breaching the ceiling.
The lower apartment sustained smoke and water damage, while the remaining three units sustained smoke damage. All four units were rendered uninhabitable. The American Red Cross provided temporary lodging assistance to the seven displaced occupants.
Firefighters knocked down the fire at 10:35 a.m., about 28 minutes after dispatch. Crews remained at the scene for approximately two hours completing overhaul operations.
No firefighters or civilians were injured.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
