Planned Concord apartment building goes up in flames

CONCORD, Calif. - Several roads near the downtown Concord BART station were closed early Tuesday morning after a two-alarm fire ripped through what could have been an apartment complex one day.

The fire broke out on Monday about 10:30 p.m. at a vacant building undergoing renovations near Park Street and Clayton Road, and it took Contra Costa firefighters two hours to put it out. 

A witness sent in video showing flames that were several feet high, shooting from the roof. 

Firefighters said no one was hurt. 

They're not sure how this fire started, but said there was no sign of anyone living or "squatting" at the property. 

Fire investigators with the Contra Costa Fire Protection District said their initial review indicated the fire started somewhere near the roof - not in the underground parking garage. It will take several days to determine the cause of the fire.  

The building at 2325 Clayton Road has been empty for several years, but a search of property records show it was sold in 2020 for $4.4 million to a developer called Salmon Run, LLC out of Santa Cruz. 

Concord city permit records show the developer had planned to convert the old office building into 32 apartment homes with a rooftop deck. 

It's not clear how far along the project was when the fire happened.  

KTVU tried to reach Salmon Run, LLC for comment on the project's status and future plans and did not receive a response. 

Several streets in the surrounding area were closed as firefighters were busy dealing with hot spots. The road closures are expected to be in place through Wednesday afternoon.