Huge Safeway Distribution Center Ablaze
Jul. 12, 1988 2:42 AM ET
RICHMOND, CALIF.
RICHMOND, Calif. (AP) _ A general-alarm fire engulfed a huge
distribution warehouse complex for the Safeway supermarket chain late
Monday, sending flames hundreds of feet into the air.The flames and massive clouds of smoke could be seen across the San
Francisco Bay in downtown San Francisco, about 15 miles to the
southwest. ''It seems like it's burning down the whole thing,'' said warehouse worker George Tomasis.
Truck drivers could be seen on television station broadcasts
frantically trying to get dozens of trucks away from the building after
the fire broke out, some of them driving off while nearly surrounded by
flames.
Tomasis said the fire broke out in the paper products section of the
complex, which includes several buildings, and quickly spread to the
meat and produce sections.
There were no reports of injuries, said Fire Department spokesman Gary Gray.
Gray said all available firefighters in the city were called to
battle the blaze, which was reported at 10:02 p.m., and that about 50
firefighters responded.
The warehouse complex covers approximately five square blocks in an
industrial area. It serves as a distribution center for the grocery
store's Northern California supermarkets. Safeway has its headquarters
in nearby Oakland.
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