A one-alarm fire in Pleasanton that destroyed two homes under construction in a new subdivision Tuesday morning and damaged two others caused an estimated $450,000 in damage, according to fire officials.
The fire in a planned new subdivision on Valley Avenue just south of Bernal Avenue was reported at 2:04 a.m. after drivers on Interstate Highway 680 spotted the flames, according to Battalion Chief Joe Testa.
Firefighters found two two-story homes well involved in flames and two three-story homes behind them starting to catch fire, Testa said.
Efforts to fight the fire were initially hampered by the fact that there was no water in the hydrants on the site, Testa said. Firefighters brought water in from hydrants on Valley Avenue, a distance of around 600
feet.
Firefighters were able to save most of the three-story homes, but they sustained major damage on the side facing the fire. The two-story homes were a total loss, Testa said.
Fire officials are working with police to investigate the fire, but believe it was probably accidental, Testa said.
No injuries were reported.
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Firefighters remain on the scene, as the homes are still smoldering and unsafe. The developer will need to bulldoze the destroyed homes, which were among the first to be constructed on the site.
Testa said the homes, which ranged in size from 2,500 to 3,000 square feet, were in the final phase of exterior construction and being prepared for interior work.
