Flames Rip Through Mountain View Strip Mall; Force Evacuation Of Nearby Hotel
MOUNTAIN VIEW (CBS SF) -- A fire erupted in a Mountain View strip mall, sending smoke and flames billowing into the sky and forcing firefighters to evacuate a nearby hotel.
Mountain View fire officials said reports of smoke coming from the back of the single-story strip mall at 903 E El Camino Real began coming in around 9:56 p.m. Monday.
Crews were quickly dispatched to the scene and were greeted by the mall's occupants streaming out of the structure and flames and smoke visible on the roof.
A second alarm was quickly called in. The southbound lane of traffic on El Camino Real was closed and the nearby hotel was evacuated.
Four Chief officers, five engines, three trucks, one rescue and one squad eventually battled the blaze from both the ground and also from 100-foot ladder trucks.
The fire was extinguished with no injuries to civilians or firefighters. The hotel occupants returned to their rooms which were not affected.
The estimated damage to the contents and structure was estimated to be $500,000. The cause of the fire was under
investigation.
