Fire Damages Several Businesses In Carmichael

CARMICHAEL (CBS13) – The search for a cause is underway after flames destroyed four businesses in Carmichael.

Thankfully no one was hurt in the early morning blaze.

The two-alarm fire broke out at the Oak Leaf Plaza on Marconi Avenue and Fair Oaks Boulevard.

It's never easy when you get a call in the middle of the night saying that your business has been destroyed, we'll it happened to about four business owners Monday morning.

Flames shot from the roof.

"It was pretty spectacular," said Joe Hart, Parisi Insurance Agency.

It was a well involved fire in the attic of the building.

"The whole building is a loss," said Ramin Ekhtiar, PPC Property Management Inc. "This is crazy. I'm still in shock, look at the pieces out here, and it's like a disaster."

Four businesses were destroyed.

"We're still in shock; we're just thinking 'oh we got to do this, and we got to do that.' It's a lot to think about," said Hart.

Firefighters were able to save a lot of the contents inside the building from computers to personal files to desk chairs. But still, it's alarming for the people that work in this building.

"In the middle of the night you wonder what's happening. It was like walking into some movie set, because, like I said, there was seven fire trucks and all these firemen and a lot going on," said Hart .

PPC Property Mangement Inc. also owns additional office space in the same business complex.

"We'll help them relocate wherever they need to be. We'll do whatever we can on our end to make life easier on them. This is a very big loss for them," said Ekhtiar.

Damage to the structure and contents is estimated at $500,000.