Wednesday, 12 August 2026, 13:40
A major structure fire at a condominium complex in Foster City, California, prompted a large emergency response on Sunday afternoon. Firefighters are working to control the blaze at 815 Sea Spray Lane, according to multiple reports. The three-story building is part of the Spinnaker Cove condominium complex.
Aerial footage from ABC7's SKY7 showed fire crews responding to the blaze. The fire was first reported around 2:30 p.m.
The fire broke out shortly after 2:30 p.m. Sunday on the first floor before spreading through the building and reaching the third floor. Firefighters said windy conditions and hot weather fueled the flames, prompting a response from departments across the Peninsula.
Flames tore through the attic and insulation, making it impossible for crews to stay ahead of the rapid spread.
ABC7 Bay Area reported a 6-alarm fire, while CBS Bay Area and KION initially described it as a four-alarm structure fire. The exact alarm level remains unclear as incident commanders continue to assess the scene. CBS Bay Area later updated its coverage to refer to the blaze as a six-alarm fire.
According to KTVU, the blaze quickly grew to a four-alarm fire, then to a six-alarm blaze by 4 p.m. San Mateo Consolidated Fire Department units were dispatched to the scene just after 2:30 p.m. Several outside agencies responded to assist San Mateo Consolidated Fire after a Mayday call was sent out.
Multiple ambulances have been dispatched to the location. Authorities confirmed that four firefighters suffered minor injuries, and the cause of the fire was later determined to be a propane barbecue. The smoke plume was visible from Oakland, indicating the intensity of the fire.
The fire raged for nearly nine hours before crews began to gain control. Investigators said they know the general origin of the blaze but will need time to confirm exactly how it started.
The Foster City Police Department said the building was evacuated and there were no immediate reports of resident injuries.
Residents evacuated safely, some with their pets, as thick smoke rose above the complex. Neighbors outside watched as the fast-moving fire spread.
Resident Abdi Tabrizi saw his own condo engulfed in flames during the incident. "What was going through my mind, I hope everybody's safe," Tabrizi said. "I was telling my wife I hope nobody gets hurt, and the building, everything else, we can rebuild that, we can rebuild."
Displaced resident Keith Thompkins was not home when the fire started, but his mother and her caretaker were inside and escaped safely. "I'm choked up," Thompkins said. "My mom's old, she almost died. Horrible but I'm alright." Another resident, Lisa Shoulders, who lives a few units from where the fire started, said she left quickly and was concerned about items left behind. "Our storage unit is close to the area that's involved in it," she said. "We have boxes of old family pictures and mementos."
Thompkins added that he raced to the complex and tried to get inside, but the heat was overwhelming. "I raced over here tried to get up inside, climbed up over the balcony but it was too hot," Thompkins said. "I thought she was dead, I thought she was gone, I thought they were all gone." He later told CBS Bay Area that people were brought down from the third floor on ladders from the opposite side of the building, in addition to the stairwell rescues. "They did the search without a hose line because of the speed in which we needed to get up there and start getting people out."
One resident, who was inside when the fire broke out, recalled, "We see fire and smoke ... inside my home ... so I go outside ... And scream 'help.'"
Resident Takako Nimmi said she was returning from church when she saw the fire and did not have a chance to take anything from her home, including her 18-year-old cat. "I waited until 9 p.m. They rescued my cat," Nimmi said; after six hours, they were reunited. She added that the real-life heroes were the firefighters. Bridget Michelsen, who owns a condo in the building, said, "It's a lot. I'm glad the people are out safely. I'm glad the firefighters are safe." A resident named DeLeon said his family was out of town when the fire started and rushed back to find everything destroyed; two cats, Felix and Eloise, were still missing. "There's hope. We're hoping," he said. Another resident, Noushin, struggled to process the loss: "It's all collapsed. There's nothing left. Nothing left."
Nimmi, reflecting on losing her home, added, "I lost the, you know, my, property, but... my cat to me, is the most important."
Yasmin Bishop was out of town when the fire started and received a photo showing her first-floor condo bulging from water damage. She suspects all her belongings are gone. "It's horrible. Literally everything I own is in my unit and I may not even be able to go in and retrieve any of it," Bishop said. "It's really awful to have to start over with nothing." Bishop is posting fliers hoping to locate her two cats, Felix and Eloise.
Bishop added that the cats belong to her daughters. "They're actually my daughters' cats, they named them and they're really precious to them and so it's just heartbreaking you know," Bishop said. "We just adore them so much."
Displaced resident Ricky Liboro said he was in tears as he surveyed the destruction. "You're lucky to see me not crying. I've been crying since last night," Liboro said. "We lost everything... We're just trying to figure things out at this moment, trying to process everything."
Another displaced resident, Aiden Reyes, said he was heartbroken to have lost most of his family's belongings in the fire. "We've lived there for 10 years, so a lot of memories, a lot of physical items, but a lot of sentimental items you can't get back."
San Mateo Consolidated Fire Department Chief Matt Turturici said at an afternoon press conference that responding firefighters found flames on the first and second floors of the complex. Turturici said the fire department received numerous calls reporting that people were trapped inside the apartment building, and several occupants were rescued from third-story windows.
Flames had torn down a third-floor hallway, complicating rescue efforts.
He also noted that two firefighters on the third floor reported just before 3 p.m. that they were briefly overcome by flames and lost track of each other, prompting one firefighter to make a distress call that released additional resources to the scene; both were eventually found safe. Turturici said firefighters would remain on scene for an indeterminate amount of time to ensure the flames were doused.
Speaking to NBC Bay Area, Turturici emphasized that rescue was the top priority. "Rescue was a priority, as a number of people were calling and saying that they were trapped," he said. "There were numerous people taken down from the third floor ... and there were numerous rescues down the stairwells."
Roughly 30 minutes into the firefight, two firefighters conducting a search on the third floor experienced a flashover and lost track of each other in heavy smoke, triggering a Mayday distress call.
Turturici said, "It was one of our truck companies. They were conducting a search in black conditions. They had a flash over them and they lost each other. They were in pairs of two. They were looking for each other."
Rescuers launched an immediate search for the pair and brought them out safely. Turturici became emotional when reflecting on the close call. "When I hear a Mayday, it's tough," Turturici said.
Turturici described the taxing conditions, noting, "We don't get the hot, hot days here a lot, but wearing the gear, it's 100 pounds, they're working their butts off. It'll wear you out quick." He said the elevated outdoor temperatures allowed crews to rotate out during the response. Seven and a half hours into the effort, crews continued working as the building was left severely damaged, with open views visible straight through parts of the structure. Fire officials noted the building's layout presented ongoing challenges to containment. "So many little nooks and crannies we can't get the water to," Turturici said. "But I know our crews are up there working hard. And we'll be here for a while."
Speaking to KTVU, Chief Turturici reiterated that life safety was the immediate priority. "We had a significant amount of people inside, and they're the priority," Turturici said. "So we're going to get them out first as we're stretching lines."
Police identified the building as the Spinnaker Cove condominium complex. A fourth firefighter was injured a short time after the initial three were reported, according to authorities. The Red Cross has established an assistance center at the complex's clubhouse to support displaced residents.
Families displaced by the fire are being directed to the clubhouse, where the American Red Cross is providing emergency assistance, shelter information and other resources.
A Red Cross shelter was also opened nearby to provide overnight accommodations for residents.
According to police, four firefighters were injured: one suffered burns and two experienced smoke inhalation, with two of those firefighters being transported to a local hospital for treatment. Fire crews were in defensive mode, fighting the blaze from the exterior. All residents were safely evacuated, and the Red Cross is assisting them. Operations are expected to continue for several hours.
Police later specified that two firefighters were taken to the hospital: one for second-degree burns on the back and shoulders and the other for smoke inhalation. Two additional firefighters were treated at the scene and continued working.
Both hospitalized firefighters have since been released.
Police asked residents to avoid the area and keep their windows closed because of the smoke. Authorities also advised drivers to anticipate road closures near the condominium complex as the response continued.
In an update just before 7 p.m., police said fire crews remained in defensive mode, fighting the blaze from the exterior. Police also reported thick, heavy smoke still in the area and advised those living nearby to keep their windows and doors closed. All others were asked to avoid the area.
Crews remained at the scene Monday checking for hot spots after the massive fire tore through the complex. Investigators are expected to examine what caused the fire now that crews have largely knocked down the flames.
A major cleanup is underway, and the fire-damaged building continues to fall apart, according to officials.
More than 50 units in the complex were damaged, and aerial images showed portions of the building fully gutted. The structure appeared to be a total loss, with one area blown out following extensive water use during firefighting efforts. Officials warned the building could collapse and noted it had no fire sprinklers.
Initial indications suggest the fire originated on the backside of the complex, possibly near a lower unit.
More than 14 hours after the blaze began, crews were still working to extinguish remaining flames and spent Monday morning dousing parts of the building that were still smoldering. Chief Turturici said as temperatures warmed, smoke production could increase as humidity fell, and firefighters remained on scene as suppression efforts continued.
Chief Turturici told ABC7, "You're going to see an increase in smoke production out here. And that's just going to be natural as the humidity, you know, starts to fall and it gets a little bit warmer."
In total, seven residents were rescued from the third floor, and all were safe. More than 50 families have been displaced. Chief Turturici said the main goal is to determine what started the fire while keeping investigators safe. Chief Turturici said his biggest concern was the building collapsing, which is why residents in neighboring units were also displaced. According to ABC7's data team, the building was constructed in 1981, before sprinklers were legally required.
The fire displaced more than 150 people, according to the San Mateo Consolidated Fire Department.
The Foster City Chamber of Commerce and Foundation is raising money for the victims, aiming for a minimum of $1,000 for each of the 51 units that perished. "There's a lot of clothing needs right now. Essential items, underwear, socks, that kind of thing. There's back-to-school items because there are kids that were supposed to be starting school next week, and then eventually that's going to turn into replacement items for housing," said Crystal Tilton with the organization.
Insurance experts are also urging those affected to document their losses. "Before you have the loss, go in and document what's in your house so if everything is lost you can have a much more smooth recovery process on what needs to get reimbursed under the personal property section of your policy," said Karen Collins of the American Property Casualty Insurance Association. For those who are insured, experts recommend keeping all receipts for meals or hotel stays, as they could be covered depending on the policy.
Foster City is a small planned city located on the San Francisco Peninsula in San Mateo County. The fire's smoke across the Bay Area highlights the proximity of the community to major transportation routes and residential neighborhoods.
Large structure fires often require coordinated responses from multiple fire agencies. In recent years, Bay Area fire departments have worked to improve mutual aid agreements. The cause of the fire has been determined.
Police have arrested a man in connection with the six-alarm fire, according to ABC7. The suspect was taken into custody after an investigation determined that he had allegedly left a propane barbecue unattended on his first-floor patio, which sparked the fire. Police have not released his name because he has not yet appeared in court. He also faces additional charges, including obstructing a police investigation.
According to NBC Bay Area, the man arrested is a resident of Foster City. Police have not released further details about the arrest or a possible motive.
On Friday, the San Mateo Consolidated Fire Department said in a social media post that it had determined the cause of the fire: a propane barbecue on the outside deck of a first-floor unit, confirming the earlier arrest allegation. The department also said the 51-unit Spinnaker Cove Condo Complex remains fenced off and red-tagged. Neighbors had previously hinted to KTVU that a barbecue might have been the cause. The American Red Cross has been helping affected residents, but the next steps for them are still unclear.
Residents returned to the Sea Spray Lane complex Thursday to assess the destruction. Entire units were gutted, parts of the building were charred, walls were blown out, and personal belongings, including children's school supplies, were scattered throughout the property. City crews posted signs indicating the property has been red-tagged, and entry is prohibited because of hazardous conditions. Alfred Tolentino, who lives in a building across the street from the one that burned, said reports about the cause of the fire had circulated since the day it happened. "We heard that rumor from day one, and it's very upsetting. Now, I hope that the other tenants will be diligent about use of anything fire-related outside," Tolentino said. Tolentino provided a photograph of a propane barbecue taken after the fire, though it has not been confirmed whether it was the grill that sparked the blaze. He said gas grills are not allowed at the complex. The California Fire Code prohibits open-flame cooking devices from being operated on combustible balconies or within 10 feet of combustible construction unless they are protected by a sprinkler system, which the complex was not. Tolentino said his garage flooded as a result of water used to fight the blaze. "There was about 6-7 inches of water with debris from the burning building. Graduation photos washed up, personal items, and just pieces of debris, so that was disturbing to see," he said.
Four firefighters suffered minor injuries, but no residents were injured. The cause of the fire was determined to be a propane barbecue left on an outside deck. Residents and commuters are advised to avoid the area and follow updates from the San Mateo County Fire Department and local authorities.
