2-Alarm Fire in Downtown Berkeley

BERKELEY, CA - A two-alarm fire heavily damaged a vacant house in downtown Berkeley this morning, fire officials said.

The fire on Haste Street near Shattuck Avenue was reported at 11:15 a.m., Berkeley Deputy Fire Chief Donna McCracken said. It took more than an hour for firefighters to get the fire under control.

While they were fighting it, pets in the Berkeley Dog & Cat Hospital next door needed to be evacuated.

The fire didn’t spread to the pet hospital and the animals were safely returned, McCracken said.

It remains unclear how the fire in the vacant home started. It caused heavy damage to the rear façade to the building and smoke and heat damage throughout, McCracken said.

No injuries were reported.

--Bay City News