CHRIS De BENEDETTI
Contra Costa Times

HAYWARD - A two-alarm fire destroyed a two-story house Monday and left eight people without a home, an Alameda County fire spokeswoman said.

No injuries were reported in the blaze at 20898 Locust St., in unincorporated Hayward, spokeswoman Aisha Knowles said.

The home is the site of a business called On the Right Path, which has a license to house people transitioning from incarceration back into society or adults who are developmentally disabled, Knowles said.

The house suffered severe fire and smoke damage, leaving it uninhabitable, she said.

The blaze also caused minor damage to a neighboring home, as the flames' heat broke some of its windows, she said.

No one was home at the time of the fire, and the American Red Cross is working with the displaced residents to help find them temporary housing.

More than 30 firefighters, using six fire engines, one fire truck and one heavy rescue vehicle while responding to a 12:45 p.m. call, contained the blaze within 30 minutes, Knowles said.

The fire emitted enough smoke to be seen from nearby Foothill Boulevard and Interstate 580, she said.

The cause of the fire is unknown at this time and is under investigation, she said.

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March 14, 2011