Demolition finishing up at fire-damaged 4600 El Camino

This story was updated Feb. 2.

Demolition is wrapping up on a commercial building severely damaged in a Christmas Day fire, a crucial step in efforts to investigate the cause of the blaze.

A subcontractor with the city of Los Altos brought in heavy equipment to bring down the the 20,000-square foot building at 4600 El Camino Real.

The area continues to be fenced off to traffic, with the eastbound lane on El Camino Real between San Antonio Road and Sherwood Avenue remaining closed.  

Although a cause has not been released, investigative work onsite concluded on Jan. 30, when County Fire released the site to the building owners, property managers, and the city of Los Altos to conclude the demolition process.

The debris removal began Feb. 1, with shoring to follow, marking the final
stages of the demolition process. This phase will continue over the next two weeks and requires the current road closure to remain in place.

A three-alarm fire severely damaged the mall in the morning hours of Dec. 25, resulting in a caved-in roof and total destruction. 

No injuries were reported during the fire, but more than a dozen small business owners lost their place of business.