By KQED News Staff, KQED News Fix
If your morning commute included a trip across San Francisco Bay on BART, you probably had to make alternate plans on June 14. An early morning fire at a building near the West Oakland station crippled service at the point where four BART lines enter the Transbay Tube. An accident close to the Bay Bridge metering lights has also led to backups on Interstate 80.
In some ways, the fire couldn’t have happened in a worse spot – West Oakland is the station where BART trains leave the East Bay for San Francisco. It’s unclear how long it will take crews to get the tracks cleared, although officials hope to get service restored after the morning rush.
The fire began about 2:15 a.m. Thursday at a three-story senior residential building under construction. PG&E had to come shut off a gas line before firefighters could begin their battle.
Battalion Chief Lisa Baker says it’s too soon for investigators to move in.
“We’re still at this time putting out hotspots, and we need a structural engineer to tell us actually if the cement parking garage is safe at this point,” she said.
Read complete story at KQED News Fix.
