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SAN JOSE — A six-alarm fire gutted a six-acre section of Santana Row, an expansive $500 million retail, commercial and residential development designed to become an upscale destination for people from all over Silicon Valley. 

The blaze, which erupted Monday afternoon, spewed 100-foot-high flames and billowing black smoke that could be seen for miles, and delivered yet another blow to an already sagging economy still weathering the dot-com bust. 

“This was going to be a very, very big deal for San Jose,” said city councilman Ken Yeager. “It was really all set to be a regional shopping center, it was going to draw shoppers from around the area and help the economy.” 

Homes and businesses within a half-mile of the site were evacuated. Cinders blew onto nearby apartments where residents straddled roofs and tried to douse flames with garden hos Bay Area roadways during the evening commute. There were no known injuries. All of San Jose’s available firefighters responded, as well as crews from nearby cities. 

Left charred was the largest of nine buildings at the development.