Hazmat called out for fire at former Tribune building in SLO
A fire sparked at a commercial building that formerly housed The Tribune office in San Luis Obispo on Monday morning.
Firefighters responded to signs of smoke coming from 3825 S. Higuera St. in San Luis Obispo around 8:24 a.m., according to the emergency app PulsePoint. The 10,000-square-foot building more recently housed aerospace engineering firm, ESAero.
Staff were evacuated from the building by the time firefighters arrived, San Luis Obispo Fire Department’s emergency manager Joe Little told The Tribune.
According to emergency scanner chatter, several fire units along with a hazmat team were called in regarding a possible lithium-ion battery fire at the building. The fire was upgraded to a second-alarm incident shortly after it was reported.
Four agencies, including the San Luis Obispo Fire Department, Five Cities Fire Authority, Morro Bay Fire Department and Cal Fire, responded to the incident, according to a news release from the city of San Luis Obispo.
As of 9:13 a.m., firefighters had knocked down the fire, according to emergency scanner traffic.
The blaze was contained to the bottom floor of the building. Crews stayed on scene to create ventilation and ensure the fire remained out, the release said.
No injuries were reported, and the cause of the fire was still under investigation Monday morning, according to Little.
The fire caused no threats to nearby residences or businesses, and South Higuera Street remained open throughout the incident, the city said.
“Please avoid the area if possible,” the San Luis Obispo Fire Department said on Facebook.
This story was originally published January 12, 2026 at 9:30 AM.
