Vallejo senior apartment building damaged in early morning fire

By Tim Fang

An apartment complex for seniors in Vallejo was damaged in a fire that broke out early Sunday morning, firefighters said.

Around 6 a.m., the city’s Police and Fire Dispatch received reports of a fire burning at the Marina Tower Annex on 575 Sacramento Street. Callers reported “heavy smoke” coming from the third floor.

When firefighters arrived, they found heavy smoke throughout the upper floor of the three-story building. Firefighters struck three alarms for adequate resources for fighting the fire and for evacuations.

Several neighboring fire departments provided mutual aid, including American Canyon, Benicia, Crockett and Fairfield.

At least 12 residents were assessed at the scene for smoke inhalation and / or minor injuries experienced as they were being evacuated. One resident was taken to a hospital for a minor injury and smoke inhalation.

Firefighters said “multiple” residents have been displaced from their building due to fire, smoke and water damage. While automatic sprinklers slowed the fire, the water also led to damage to units below where the fire took place.

In a statement Sunday afternoon, firefighters said the cause has been determined to be “accidental” due to a candle being unattended.

According to the John Stewart Company, the building’s manager, the Marina Tower Annex has 57 one-bedroom apartments for seniors. The property first opened in 1978.