Crews fear collapse in historic San Lorenzo theater fire

More than 40 firefighters are on the scene of a fire at the historic Lorenzo Theater in the unincorporated Alameda County community of San Lorenzo, but now in defensive operations, the Alameda County Fire Department said Friday evening.

The department said via Twitter that crews moving apparatus out of possible collapse zones.

The fire started about 5:30 p.m. Friday at the theater at 16080 Hesperian Blvd.

The public is being advised to avoid the area.

The 73-year-old theater closed in 1982, according to http://cinematreasures.org/, and the nonprofit organization Lorenzo Theater Foundation was formed in 1999 to work for its preservation and restoration.

The theater was designated as a California Historic Resource in 2001, according to cinematreasures.org.