NEWARK — A two-alarm fire Friday morning caused mainly smoke damage to a Nordstrom Distribution Center, officials said.
The fire erupted about 8:48 a.m. at the center at 37599 Filbert St. It was not clear if the center was open at the time.
Responding Alameda County Fire Department firefighters could see smoke inside the building, but had trouble initially gaining entry, department spokeswoman Joanna Leal said.
Preliminary reports were that the fire started in a piece of machinery and caused the sprinkler system to activate, probably preventing it from becoming a larger blaze.
Firefighters eventually gained entry and had the fire under control by 9:30 a.m. Portions of the roof were opened by firefighters to help ventilate the building and help clear the air for crews working inside, Battalion Chief Jeffrey Luepke said.
There were no reported injuries.
The cause of the fire is under investigation and there was no immediate damage estimate.
Luepke said the fire was contained to one room inside the facility.
“We called a second alarm just as a precautionary measure, to have more units on scene,” he said in a brief interview outside the facility Friday
“The sprinkler system did what it’s supposed to do, held the fire in check, and allowed us to come in and fully extinguish it,” he said.
Center employees waited anxiously in a parking lot outside unsure if they would be able to go to work.
Luepke said employees may be able to return to unaffected areas of the building after officials ensure power can be returned to the building safely..
Check back for updates.
Staff writer Joseph Geha contributed to this report.