Oakland Firefighters: Last night while #thetown slept, #OFD responded to a fire at the Vietnamese American Community Center. The fire started in an encampment and extended into and destroyed the community center. This is a huge loss to the community. This center prepares nearly 10k meals a week.
The cause is still under investigation, fire officials said. No injuries were reported in the fire and it’s not clear whether any residents of the homeless camp were displaced, said Oakland fire spokesman Michael Hunt.
“This is obviously a huge loss for the community,” Hunt said. “Thousands of residents rely on meals distributed by the center.” Oakland City Council President Nikki Bas said the center’s loss was “devastating” for the city’s Eastlake and Vietnamese community.
Nikki Fortunato Bas: We were planning to come together at Clinton Park Sunday for Lunar New Year and will still come together for support, solidarity and safety for all our communities and in unity. Thank you @OaklandFFs.
