North Fair Oaks community share fears, resiliency weeks after 8-alarm fire in Redwood City

Ever Rodriguez, president of the North Fair Oaks Community Alliance, said he has heard many residents minimize their experiences, speaking to the resiliency of the Latino and immigrant community.

“We have a tendency to compare the magnitude of these events and think, well I didn’t die when I crossed the border, this is nothing, but it is something,” Rodriguez said in Spanish. “It’s because resilience makes us not complain.”

He said he hopes those affected keep detailed documentation of their experiences, no matter how small.

A gathered summary of impacts reported by neighbors include destruction of property, headaches from smoke, loss of wages, extraordinary use of water to protect homes from catching fire, and remaining contamination and residuals from the blaze.

Residents living on Pacific Avenue shared at a community meeting Tuesday, June 25, that first responders had to break down their backyard fences to gain access to the construction location. For one resident, this raises concern if a similar situation were to present in the future.

“It was already really difficult for all of us to get out of our neighborhood, and I can’t imagine what it would look like if an emergency were to happen,” the Pacific Avenue resident said. “It’s really concerning when they had to tear down our fence in order to access that building, what's that going to look like when those buildings are fully housed?”

Whether it was having to take three days off work to deal with fire-related health issues or an extra bottle of aspirin to treat headaches in the weeks after, insurance experts emphasized to residents the importance of keeping receipts for everything.

Generations United Director of Operations Keith Miller, who used to work in insurance, said any and all documentation is important.

“All of these things add up and can add up pretty quickly when you have a lot of little things,” he said.

Claims management company Sedgwick will be aiding with off-site liability claims, which can be filed with local adjuster Gordon Hicinbothem. Insurance claims filed with the construction company, Roberts-Obayashi Corporation, will take time to be processed, Miller said.

Roberts-Obayashi Corporation has to accept liability for the fire before insurance money can be awarded to claimants, and cannot do so until the comprehensive fire report is completed by the Menlo Park Fire District. Deputy Chief Dan Coyle said this will likely be done in the next few weeks.

If residents affected by the fire do not want to wait to file with the construction company, Miller said individuals can file with their own insurance agencies but that could leave them on the hook for paying a deductible. He added that filing with Roberts-Obayashi will cover things, such as car damage, that are not covered in homeowner policies.

Elaine Palacios from Mercy Housing, the developer for the affordable housing site at Middlefield Junction, said their focus is getting back on schedule to “bring affordable housing to the community that is very needed.”

However, some residents at the community meeting said they hope they don’t move too quickly.

“We all want that to happen, just not at our expense,” a resident said.

The under-construction housing complex, located at 2700 Middlefield Road, caught fire the morning of June 3. The high-alarm fire called for two additional strike teams from nearby counties and was the largest response in recent county history.

The site included two buildings with 179 affordable housing units and a child care facility. Construction began on the $155 million development one year ago behind the county’s Fair Oaks Health Center. The apartments were to be reserved for households earning between 15% and 80% of the area median income. Twenty apartments were to be set aside for individuals who are homeless and who are receiving care management and supportive services from San Mateo County Health.

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