Russell City Fire Razes 17 Buildings

Daily Review, Sept. 02, 1965

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The biggest fire yet to hit Russell City burned down 17 structures yesterday afternoon and blackened 23 acres of grass.

It was one of three major fires in Southern Alameda County yesterday.

Fanned by a stiff wind, it took area firemen five hours to get the blaze under control and another four to put it out. No one was injured.

Alameda County Fire Patrol Chief Bill Wolters said that with this blaze more than 50 percent of Russell City has gone up in smoke.

Although no occupied buildings were destroyed yesterday, two were threatened—a home housing 12 people and a Baptist Church. Several tons of waste paper, recently collected by the church members went up in the fire.

The fire started about 3 p.m. on Ohio Street, Wolters said. It took men from Hayward, Cherryland, Alameda County Civil Defense and the Fire Patrol to bring the fire under control. It was finally stopped on Louisiana Street.

In Newark, children playing with matches were blamed for a $4,000 house fire at the home of Michael Marrow, 7159 Calals Place, yesterday forenoon.

The children, 7 and 6, inadvertenlly set fire to their toys while playing in the garage, firemen said. A blanket was used to try to smother the fire but this spread the fire to the rest of the garage.

The blaze destroyed the interior of the garage and several items of furniture and household goods stored there.

Hayward firemen caught a potentially disastrous fire at Wisemen's Furniture Store, 25819 Mission. Blvd.

The fire had started in a trash heap containing broken-up cardboard boxes at the rear of the store and had just spread to the tar roof of the building when firemen arrived. Damage was set at $300. The cause of the blaze is unknown.

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