Update: 3-alarm fire engulfs South San Jose storage facility; Explosions heard during fire
SAN JOSE – Explosions were reported Wednesday after a fire broke out at a storage facility in South San Jose, sending a huge plume of black smoke that could be seen for miles.
UPDATE:
Person of interest arrested in South San Jose storage facility fire
Shortly before 6:40 p.m., the San Jose Fire Department tweeted about a two-alarm fire burning in the area of Blossom Hill and Cottle Roads.
Firefighters are on scene of a 2-alarm structure fire at a commercial building in the area of Blossom Hill Rd and Cottle Rd. Roads are closed and traffic is delayed. Please do NOT drive over any fire hose. Obey all directions from fire crews and police officers. @SJPD_PIO pic.twitter.com/TCuviSHn0X
— San José Fire Dept. (@SJFD) June 15, 2023
Neighbors told KPIX they heard explosions in the area.
The closest fire station is right across the street from the building that caught fire, but in the short response time period, the flames were so intense that there was little that firefighters could do.
Firefighters surrounded the facility on Blossom Hill Road, spreading water from all sides and over the top, but the flames kept burning.
Drone video posted on Twitter showed how large the fire and the plume of smoke were early on.
🔥 Captured the explosive scene in San Jose as a #PublicStorage facility went up in flames! 🎥 Shot in stunning 4K resolution with a drone, offering a bird's-eye view of the chaos. Sounded like #fireworks going off! #SanJoseExplosion #DroneFootage #SanJose #Fire pic.twitter.com/hxEIm9VWUn
— donavonjames (@donavonjames) June 15, 2023
The popping sounds from the explosions had some people in the area thinking there was an active shooter.
Big explosion and fire at a self storage place in the Blossom Hill Cottle Road area in San Jose. Neighbors say explosions still going off. pic.twitter.com/D8Mx9KRmGw
— Len Ramirez (@lenKPIX) June 15, 2023
About an hour later, San Jose firefighters said the fire had been upgraded to a third alarm.
While crews were eventually able to contain the fire, firefighters worked overnight putting out hotspots and preventing flare-ups. There were still no reports of injuries as of early Thursday morning.
The cause of the fire was not immediately known.