Massive flames ripped through an apartment complex in San Mateo Thursday night and more than a dozen people are left without a home, as of Friday morning, according to the San Mateo Fire Department.
The fire was reported shortly after 9 p.m. in the 3300 block of La Selva Street along Highway 101. The fire quickly escalated from a 1-alarm fire to a 3-alarm fire in less than half an hour. Fire officials said the flames were contained in an hour, but crews remained on scene to extinguish the smoldering area of the attic.
Seven apartment units were destroyed in the fire, leaving 14 people displaced, authorities said. There were no major injuries from the flames, but one firefighter suffered a muscle strain.
Foster City police warned residents about an hour after the fire started that there would be heavy smoke in the air.
The cause of the fire remains unknown.
