As of Monday afternoon, April 7, Fremont Fire Department is still investigating the cause of an apartment fire that broke out early the previous Sunday morning, killing one person, injuring three and displacing all the residents of a 30-unit building on Bidwell Drive. The neighborhood is between Fremont Hub and Central Park.
Of the injured, two with more serious injuries remain in the hospital, while one with minor injuries has been discharged.
Although the incident quickly escalated into a two-alarm fire, requiring seven engines and 31 Fremont Fire personnel total, the fire department brought the fire under control at 3:40am a little less than an hour after they received the call at 2:53am.
Due to obstructions in the apartment building’s parking lot, firefighters had difficulty placing the 35-foot ladder to help residents who were stranded on balconies trying to escape the fire. Sadly, two people fell to the ground before the ladder was in place—possibly in an attempt to jump to a lower balcony.
Prior to this incident, the most recent fire-related fatality in Fremont was on Oct. 14, 2024, when a vehicle crashed into a mixed-use building on Old Warm Springs Boulevard and caught on fire. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene.
Fremont Police Department is helping with the investigation, and American Red Cross is providing resources to the displaced residents. Falck Ambulance, PG&E, and the fire department’s rehab team also provided assistance at the scene.
