3-alarm Oakland fire nearly destroys one vacant residence, badly damages a second occupied home

OAKLAND — A three-alarm fire Tuesday afternoon in the Eastlake district nearly destroyed a vacant home plagued by squatters and past fires and heavily damaged a second, occupied house, authorities said. The fire erupted about 1:20 p.m. Tuesday at the unoccupied, two-story home in the 600 block of East 8th Street, officials said. It then spread to a carport and a house next door, where the residents were not home, officials said. Officials said the carport and a vehicle parked there were badly damaged and that the occupied home sustained...