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.
An exterior fire on the north side of a two-story residence had spread into the wall and attic space of the home, resulting in a single-alarm response that brought out 18 firefighters and four engines, one truck, one ambulance and a battalion chief. Webb said the fire was under control in about 40 minutes.
The fire was estimated to have caused $150,000 in structural damage, and $40,000 in damage to contents in the home. No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
While firefighters were still on the scene of the Shattuck fire, a second residential structure fire was reported in South Berkeley, in the 3000 block of Deakin Street, near Ashby Avenue, at about 4:20 p.m.
A single-alarm assignment was also dispatched to this incident, which included the battalion chief, and an engine that was cleared from the previous fire. Acting Berkeley Fire Chief Gil Dong had come into town to check on the Shattuck Avenue fire, and he also responded to Deakin Street.
Firefighters from Albany and Emeryville each provided an engine to a Berkeley Fire station to handle other emergencies in Berkeley while the Deakin Street fire was being fought.
Webb said a single room was involved in the fire on Deakin. Firefighters took about 20 minutes to bring the fire under control. There were no reported injuries.
Approximately $30,000 in damage occurred to the structure, with $10,000 in damage to contents. One adult and one toddler were displaced from the residence, and received Red Cross housing assistance. The cause of this fire is also under investigation, said Webb.
Would you like a digest of the day’s Berkeley news sent to your inbox? Click here to subscribe to Berkeleyside’s free Daily Briefing.
