Foster City Condo Complex Gutted by 6-Alarm Fire; Officials Warn Building Could Collapse

 

Overview

A six-alarm fire tore through a condominium complex on Sea Spray Lane in Foster City, California, on Sunday afternoon, gutting the building and displacing more than 50 families. All residents and pets were safely evacuated, though four firefighters suffered minor injuries, including burns and smoke inhalation, while battling the blaze. As of Monday, crews remained on scene extinguishing hotspots, and officials warned the damaged structure could still collapse. Investigators later revealed the decades-old building had no fire sprinklers.

How the Fire Broke Out

The fire started around 2:30 p.m. Sunday and spread quickly through the complex. More than 14 hours later, crews were still working to put out remaining flames, and firefighters spent Monday morning dousing smoldering sections of the building. Aerial footage from SKY7 showed large portions of the structure fully gutted, with part of the building blown out from the extensive water used during firefighting.

San Mateo Consolidated Fire Department Chief Matt Turturici said warm, windy conditions were complicating the response and that rising temperatures would likely increase smoke production as the day went on. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Fire officials said their main priority is determining what started the blaze while keeping investigators safe from the structurally compromised building — a building Turturici said he's concerned could collapse, which is why residents of neighboring, undamaged units were also displaced as a precaution.

Rescues and Firefighter Injuries

Seven residents had to be rescued from the third floor of the complex; all were reported safe. Four firefighters suffered minor injuries fighting the fire, including burns and smoke inhalation. Two were taken to the hospital and have since been released.

Residents' Accounts

Several displaced residents described chaotic, emotional scenes as the fire spread:

• Keith Thompkins, a displaced resident, said he wasn't home when the fire broke out, but his mother and her caregiver were inside and escaped safely. He told ABC7 the ordeal left him shaken, noting how close his elderly mother came to serious danger, even as he tried to stay positive about the outcome.
• Lisa Shoulders, who lived near where the fire started, said she evacuated quickly and worried about a storage unit near the fire containing old family photos and keepsakes.
• Takako Nimmi said she returned from church to find the fire already underway and wasn't able to grab anything from her unit, including her 18-year-old cat. She waited roughly six hours before firefighters rescued the cat and the two were reunited that night. Nimmi said the real-life heroes of the day weren't the ones in movies, but the firefighters who saved her cat and her neighbors.
• Bridget Michelsen, a condo owner in the building, said she was relieved everyone — residents and firefighters alike — made it out safely.

Building Had No Fire Sprinklers

Fire officials confirmed the complex was not equipped with fire sprinklers. According to ABC7's data team, the building was constructed in 1981, before sprinklers were legally mandated in buildings of its type — a gap that may have allowed the fire to spread more extensively than it otherwise would have.

What's Next

More than 50 units were damaged and the affected building appears to be a total loss. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, and officials have not said when displaced residents might be able to return to inspect what remains of their homes, given ongoing concerns about the structure's stability.

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Sources: ABC7 News / KGO-TV San Francisco. Details are current as of August 4, 2026, and may be updated as the investigation into the cause of the fire continues.