Firefighters battle 4-alarm structure fire in Oakland

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Firefighters were battling a 4-alarm fire at a building under construction in Uptown Oakland.

The fire was burning near the Whole Foods and an Acura dealership at 24th and Valdez Street. It first started burning around 5 a.m.

Part of the building has collapsed onto the street, and a crane at the construction site was spinning for a time.

The structure is adjacent to some individual homes and a few apartment buildings that were evacuated.

A mixed-use development was being built on the site that burned. It was called the Alta Waverly. It would have created 196 market-rate apartments and up to 31,000 square feet of retail. The seven-story project began construction last year.

Heartbreaking stories are emerging from the fire, Adam and Nancy Khamphou said they were leaving for work when they noticed a fire truck circling around their building.

"We lost everything," said Nancy.

There were no reported injuries.