Firefighters Battle Three-Alarm Fire at Oakland Warehouse

Updated Friday at 1:30 p.m.

A three-alarm blaze destroyed a commercial warehouse that hosts artist studios and maker spaces in Oakland’s Jingletown neighborhood on Friday.

More than 50 Oakland firefighters responded to the fire at 976 23rd Avenue, which was initially reported at about 6:20 a.m. The fire went to three alarms in the first 10 to 15 minutes, as it sent a large plume of smoke blowing to the north that could be seen for several miles.

An Oakland Fire Department spokesperson said the fire was contained by 9:30 a.m. but firefighters will remain on the scene until Saturday to prevent additional flare ups.

Artists don’t live inside the building and there were no reported injuries, according to Oakland Fire Deputy Chief Nick Luby.

"Individuals come in, they work during the day, and then they go home at night,” Luby said. “We're being told no one was in the building when the fire started.”

Oakland Fire Deputy Chief Nick Luby said the fire broke inside a former metal works plant that now belongs to m0xy, an independent artist space with resources to help creators build businesses. The building also contains around 30 artist workspaces in total.

"It's likely seven to 10 businesses inside were directly impacted by the fire," said Fire Department spokesperson Michael Hunt.

Fire officials said the roof collapsed on the two-story building, making it impossible to get water to the first floor. The fire has been difficult to fight because of the material inside the building, which includes a woodworking shop, officials said.

The cause of the fire remains unknown and is under investigation.

KQED's Ted Goldberg contributed to this report.

This is a developing story, check back for updates.