Robert Maitland
Fire Department PIO 650-903-6825
robert.maitland@mountainview.gov

On Monday, May 1 at 7:50 p.m., a 9-1-1 call was received reporting smoke coming from a multi-family residence in the 2400 block of Whitney Drive. The apartment was vacant, and the occupant of the adjacent apartment self-evacuated before firefighters arrived.

Fire units were dispatched at 7:51 p.m. and arrived on the scene at 7:55 p.m. Units arrived to find smoke coming from the bathroom of an apartment undergoing renovations. Firefighters found flames behind the drywall in the bathroom and initiated a fire attack with water lines pre-connected to the fire engine. Firefighters extinguished the flames before they could spread to other apartments in the building.

Firefighters opened the walls to confirm there was no fire extension into the building and overhauled the structure. The Mountain View Police Department closed traffic in both directions of Whitney Drive while fire units and equipment were on the scene.

The fire was extinguished with no injuries. The neighbor in the adjacent apartment was allowed to return to their home. Traffic was reopened in both directions of Whitney Drive.

The fire cause was determined to be accidental due to a plumbing mishap. The estimated damage to the contents and structure is $25,000. The building was turned over to facilities management before fire crews departed the scene.