Week in Review: Blogger Escapes House Fire; Readers Weigh in on Bay Fair Mall

Here’s a brief look at the three most-read stories on San Leandro Patch this week:

A one-alarm fire at a San Leandro home early Tuesday morning displaced two residents and their dog. The fire was reported at a home in the 700 block of Elsie Avenue at 12:47 a.m. and was extinguished within 15 minutes. The fire appears to have been sparked by fireplace embers that floated up through the chimney and ignited nearby trees. The fire then spread into the home after the living room window broke because of the heat outside. The two residents exited the home safely after their dog's barking alerted them about the fire.

One of the homeowners is Patch blogger Richard Mellor. In a separate post, Richard details how he escaped the blave in this firsthand account.

What's The Oldest Home For Sale In San Leandro?

There's an old saying, "They don't make 'em like they used to." With that in mind, we looked for the oldest home we could find for sale in San Leandro. We found a three-bedroom, one-bathroom house at 373 Dutton Ave. that was built in 1890. It sits on a third of an acre and is 1,247 square feet. The home is listed as selling for $448,000.

Do You Still Shop at Bay Fair?

Earlier this week we asked San Leandro Patch Facebook fans whether Bay Fair has gone downhill in recent years and how it compares to neighboring malls in Hayward or Pleasanton. We got more than 90 comments, with the vast majority of posters in agreeing that the shopping center just ain't what it used to be. There were a few die-hard mall supporters but most said they only shop at the Big Box stores on the lot and rarely go inside or after dark. We compiled some of the best Facebook comments, and asked our readers what they thought. The conversation is growing, with 40 comments and counting.