A fire broke out in the Harbor Cove Apartment in Foster City on Saturday, Dec. 20, leaving two hospitalized and about 50 residents indefinitely displaced right before the holidays.
The fire was contained to one unit on the third floor, however, the fire department had to rescue five neighboring residents, with two requiring medical attention for smoke inhalation. The ongoing damage, which required red-tagging the building, was due to a broken water pipe caused by the fire, Anthony Agresti, deputy chief of operations at San Mateo Consolidated Fire Department, said.
“The issue was created by a broken water line, and it flooded the building, and that’s primarily where the damage came from,” Agresti said. “The fire did damage, but for a single apartment fire, the entire building normally would not be displaced.”
Cindy Bertsch, a Red Cross volunteer, said it’s “anyone’s guess” when residents will be able to go back to their home. Bertsch was helping pass out blankets and kits for affected residents, staying at the scene of the fire for seven hours on Saturday.
“Someone told me they had just moved here from China three weeks ago. One has a baby due this week,” Bertsch said. “It’s Christmas, and it’s the holidays, and they only had a limited amount of time to get their stuff.”
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After the fire was put out, residents had about 10 minutes to grab important items from their units before they had to leave the building and locate other shelter. The building, located at 644 Edgewater Blvd., is one of many in the apartment complex. Bertsch added that some are staying at a nearby hotel that the property management company works with, and the firm is also looking into helping residents relocate into vacant units within its other properties.
One resident who lives in one of the neighboring Harbor Cove buildings said her husband noticed the fire and lots of smoke coming from the affected building when he was taking out the trash. At first, the couple was nervous, however, they were relieved when it seemed the fire department was there and had everything under control. However, she has yet to receive any communication from the management company informing them about the situation.
“It was just really surprising to us. We were so close and there was nothing from management, no communication,” she said. “I don’t think anyone’s heard anything.”
Harbor Cove Apartments has not replied to requests for comment. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
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