Category Archives: Fire
South Berkeley fire displaces Deakin Street residents
Berkeley Fire crews responded to two fires on Sunday afternoon, which caused more than $200,000 in damage to homes in North and South Berkeley and displaced two people, authorities said Monday. The causes of both fires remain under investigation.
At 3 p.m. Sunday, officials received word of a structure fire in the 800 block of Shattuck Avenue in North Berkeley, said Avery Webb, acting deputy fire chief. … Continue reading »
High temperatures, wind, prompt Berkeley red flag alert
As the weather heats up — the National Weather Service is predicting that the temperature will hit 87 degrees by Thursday – officials have issued a Red Flag Warning for the East Bay Hills for Tuesday and Wednesday.
The wind is expected to pick up speed around 6:00 p.m. today, with heavy gusts of up to 50 mph possible by early Wednesday morning. The strong winds should last until 6 p.m. May 1.
The official fire season in Berkeley hasn’t started yet, but the fire department is taking extra precautions in anticipation of the heat and wind, according to Avery Webb, interim deputy fire chief and public information officer. Firefighters have been asked to check their wildland firefighting gear and put it in their vehicles, he said. … Continue reading »
Berkeley unites for earthquake safety
An estimated 2,000 people took part in a city-wide exercise Saturday to help community members prepare for “the big one.” About 35 neighborhood groups, along with local businesses, the Berkeley Unified School District and members of the Northern Alameda County Amateur Radio team, participated in the earthquake drill, which was organized by the Berkeley Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), a program of the Berkeley Fire Department.
Residents learned a range of skills, from how to locate and map gas and water shut-offs, to how to use a garden hose to put out a small fire. They listened to radio station 1610 AM for an emergency broadcast, and signed up to receive test messages from the Berkeley Emergency Notification System via phone and email. They located their two nearest fire stations, and called out-of-area contacts to practice what they might need to do should a major earthquake strike. Runners from community groups took messages to amateur radio operators who work with the city to help facilitate communication should traditional methods fail. Teams of firefighters drove assigned routes throughout the city to assess potential “damage” to determine the most pressing problems. Afterward, they visited neighborhood groups to speak with community members. … Continue reading »
Join the Berkeley-wide emergency drill April 27
A Berkeley-wide disaster exercise is set to take place later this month, and the city is working hard to get as many people involved as possible.
Participation ranges from the exceedingly simple — just sign up to receive emergency text alerts about the drill — to the more involved, with local business and neighborhood groups planning a range of activities. … Continue reading »
Police, Fire conduct ‘shooter’ drill at Berkeley school
Authorities converged on a North Berkeley school campus Tuesday morning to practice how to respond to a scenario involving injured and deceased victims, as well as a barricaded gunman.
Victims, played by volunteers, wore stage make-up to mimic injuries. Police and fire teams, who began responding to the “call” around 9 a.m., had to come up with a safe strategy to care for the injured, who were scattered throughout the school, and locate the hidden shooter. First responders included several police officers, who found an injured “victim” in the grass outside the school; as they communicated suspect information and other details from the victim back to dispatchers, more and more crews arrived.
The operation culminated around 11 a.m. when a police team found and “killed” a volunteer playing the role of the shooter. Photos from the drill, by Emilie Raguso, appear here. … Continue reading »
Cigarette fire causes $75,000 in damage to home on Blake
A cigarette butt discarded by a resident in a central Berkeley home appears to have lit some paper recycling materials on fire over the weekend, causing a blaze that spread to the attic and caused $75,000 in damage, authorities said Monday.
The fire took place Sunday at about 2:30 p.m. Berkeley Deputy Interim Fire Chief Avery Webb said the fire, in the 1700 block of Blake Street, was under control in about half an hour.
Webb said the single-alarm fire started on the porch and spread to the roofline and into the attic space. When fire crews arrived, “three citizens with two garden hoses had controlled the fire pretty effectively,” he said. … Continue reading »
Breaking: Firefighters douse gas line blaze on MLK
The Berkeley Fire Department put out a fire, in the 1700 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Way on Tuesday afternoon, that started in a gas line then spread to a utility truck and the roof of a nearby home, authorities said.
Martin Luther King was closed for two blocks, between Delaware and Virginia streets, while emergency crews responded. … Continue reading »
Jump the cleansing bonfires in Berkeley on Tuesday
For more than 3,000 years, people have been leaping over fires to bid farewell to winter, burn away negativity and welcome with an open heart the New Year that begins on the first day of Spring. The ancient festival of fire, called Chahar Shanbeh Suri, has its roots in Zoroastrianism and is a warm-up to Nowruz, or Persian New Year. Crossing religious and national boundaries, it is observed across the globe by Persian Jews, Christians, Baha’is and Muslims.
Berkeley may hold the distinction, however, as the only city in the U.S. to close off a public street for the annual fire jumping festivities that will take place Tuesday March 12, from 6-10pm on Durant Avenue (between Milvia and Shattuck) with food, music and guaranteed hordes of gleeful fire jumpers of all ages.
The kid-friendly, alcohol-free street party, now in its 14th year, is sponsored by the Persian Center with the full support of the City, whose police and fire departments are happy to lend a hand. The Mayor often attends.
… Continue reading »
Firefighters put out cottage blaze after reports of smoke
A fire in an in-law unit in the Berkeley hills this week resulted in about $30,000 worth of damage, and its cause remains under investigation, authorities said Wednesday.
Multiple neighbors near Poppy Lane and Hilldale Avenue called to report an odor of smoke just after midnight Wednesday, said Interim Deputy Fire Chief Avery Webb of the Berkeley Fire Department.
Firefighters were on the scene in less than 10 minutes, but it took some time to locate and then reach the fire.
“Callers reported a strong smell of smoke; they didn’t have an immediate location,” said Webb. … Continue reading »
House fire in Berkeley hills caused by portable heater
The fire today that saw two stories of a Berkeley hills home extensively damaged, and a huge plume of black smoke visible for miles, was caused by a portable heater setting alight a bed mattress, according to the Berkeley Fire Department.
Interim Deputy Fire Chief Avery Webb said a mattress caught fire in a dormer room at the top of the house and the blaze spread to the second story below.
Webb estimated the damage to the home was valued at $800,000. … Continue reading »
Update: Berkeley hills fire ‘under control’ as of 2 p.m.
Update, 9:09 p.m. Firefighters say a portable heater caused the residential fire on Keith Avenue. Read about it on Berkeleyside.
Update, 2:10 p.m. According to emergency scanner traffic, the incident was determined to be under control as of just after 2 p.m. Berkeleyside will update this post as more information becomes available.
Original post, 12:42 p.m. Berkeley Fire crews are working to put out a fire in a north Berkeley home in the hills that began just before noon, authorities said.
Firefighters responded to the 1100 block of Keith Avenue at 11:47 a.m. for a report of a structure fire, said Interim Fire Chief Gil Dong. … Continue reading »
Stabbing, arson suspect identified, dog died in fire
The man arrested Tuesday by Berkeley police at the scene of a double stabbing and arson on Harmon Street in South Berkeley is 50-year-old Victor Lamb. Lamb, who had an outstanding warrant for his arrest unrelated to yesterday’s event, is being charged on a total of seven counts: two counts of attempted murder, domestic violence, violation of a court order and resisting a police officer, according to the Berkeley Police Department. He is also being charged with animal cruelty as he left a dog in the house at 1409 Harmon St. after setting it on fire, and the dog perished.
The victims of the stabbings were a 70-year-old female and a 20-year-old male, according to BPD. They were both treated at local hospitals and the male victim has been released. The female victim is still currently being treated for her injuries. … Continue reading »
Suspect stabs two, sets house on fire on Harmon Street
Update, 01.30.13, 2:45 p.m.: The suspect in the stabbing case is 50-year-old Victor Lamb. Lamb, who had an outstanding warrant for his arrest unrelated to this event, was arrested at the scene and is being charged with two counts of attempted murder, domestic violence, violation of a court order and resisting a police officer, according to the Berkeley Police Department. He is also being charged with animal cruelty as he left a dog in the house at 1409 Harmon St. after setting it on fire, and the dog died.
Update, 01.30.13, 12:35 p.m.: The victims of the Jan. 29 stabbings were a 70-year-old female and a 20-year-old male, according to BPD. They were both treated at local hospitals and the male victim has been released. However the female victim is still currently being treated for her injuries. The crime is currently under investigation.
Original story: Berkeley police responded Tuesday to a report at 4:02 p.m. of a stabbing in the 1400 block of Harmon Street, between Sacramento Street and San Pablo Avenue, in south Berkeley.
According to Sgt. Joe Okies of the Berkeley Police Department, two stabbing victims were taken to the hospital. Their condition is currently unknown.
The suspect in the stabbings barricaded himself into the house where the incident took place, according to Okies. Berkeley police negotiators were called to the scene. In the negotiations, the suspect threatened to burn the house down. Flames were seen coming from the house. … Continue reading »
