OAKLAND — A predawn, three‑alarm fire ripped through a Ninth Street sewing facility in late April, reducing the building to a blackened shell and upending production for cult‑favorite fashion label Nooworks, which had manufactured every one of its boldly printed garments at the site for 15 years.
A 20‑Minute Inferno in West Oakland
Fire crews were dispatched at 8:40 a.m. on April 27 to the 600–700 block of Ninth Street, where flames had already breached the roof of the brick warehouse occupied by LSW Cutting & Sewing Services.
Fifty firefighters mounted simultaneous interior and exterior attacks, containing the blaze by 9:03 a.m. Their swift work prevented flames from spreading to three neighboring structures, including a nearby church. No injuries were reported.
Losses Stretch Beyond Four Walls
Although the fire was knocked down quickly, the damage was total. The factory’s interior, machinery, and raw materials were destroyed, along with all in‑process inventory for Nooworks and other independent Bay Area designers that relied on the shop’s small‑batch expertise.
A Severe Blow to a Home‑Grown Fashion Brand
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