By Tracey Taylor and Wendy Cohen
Berkeley firefighters and police responded to a fire at 2917 Ellis St. (between Russell and Ashby) on Tuesday at 10:30 a.m.
According to Berkeley Fire Department Battalion Chief Paul Cavagnaro, the two-story house had six residents, four of whom were home when the fire broke out. All are safe, but two were taken by ambulance to the hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation, he said.
As about 11:25 a.m., the fire was under control and crews were doing “overhaul”: looking for hot spots and debris. The 2900 block of Elis was closed at that time.
The cause of the fire and where it broke out was unknown at this time, Cavagnaro said. He could not estimate the dollar amount of the damage at this early stage. The investigation had just begun, he said.
The home where the fire broke out is currently for sale, with a list price of $499,000.
The whole area was “very smoky” according to Berkeleyside’s Wendy Cohen who was on the scene. Berkeley residents in other neighborhoods, including the Lorin and the Elmwood, reported via Twitter that they could also smell smoke.
Berkeleyside updated this post as we got more details.
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