Hayward house fire caused by unattended barbecue wire grill
Fire crews said they believed that a Hayward apartment fire that sparked on Friday afternoon was the result of an unattended barbecue wire grill that caught fire and spread to the deck of a two-level townhouse, a fire captain said.
Hayward fire Capt. Thor Poulsen said the fire was located in the 27000 block of Manon Avenue.
Poulsen said a woman in her 20s had been watching two young children when the unattended barbecue caught fire and grew too large to be put out with the use of a fire extinguisher.
The fire got extremely hot, melting the entire wall on the second level of the apartment, and everything inside is a loss, Poulsen said.
The townhouse caught fire at about 3:10 p.m., and the one-alarm blaze was contained by firefighters by 3:25 p.m., Poulsen said.
The damage to the property is estimated to be over $100,000, Poulsen said.
Five adults and four children were displaced Friday evening and the Red Cross is providing shelter to those displaced, Poulsen said.
No one was inside the unit when fire crews arrived and no injuries were reported, Poulsen said.
Poulsen also reminded Hayward residents that using a barbecue on Hayward apartment decks was illegal.
