Berkeley Hills Wildfire Burns 20 Acres

BERKELEY, CA — The forward progress of a 5 alarm wildfire burning in the Berkeley Hills has been halted. The area burned is about 20 acres. No structures have been lost. Firefighters expect to remain on scene throughout the night watching for hot spots.

One injury was reported - an inmate firefighter on a steep hill was attacked by at least one bee, lost his footing and tumbled down a hill onto a road. An ambulance was stationed on the road and paramedics tended to the inmate immediately.

Due to the fire, UC Berkeley announced that all transformers would be shut down, cutting power to the campus. However, the campus later issued a statement reading, "PG&E has inspected the fire impacted power lines and issued the all clear. No campus power outage will be required." In addition, UC Berkeley Police recommended the evacuation of several buildings. The Botanical Gardens also closed for the day.

The flames were first reported at 1:05 p.m. on Wednesday. They burned through thick brush and steep terrain which hampered fire crews. Water and fire retardant were dropped from the air to halt the flames.

Firefighters from nine agencies were on the fire lines including Oakland, Berkeley, Moraga-Orinda Fire District, East Bay Regional Parks, Contra Costa County Fire, Alameda County Fire and Cal Fire. Patch will add the names of the other agencies when they become available.

People should avoid the area as many road closures are in effect. Traffic in much of Berkeley was backed up all afternoon and into the evening as a result of the closures and evacuations.

The smoke was so thick when the fire first started that Lafayette Police sent a message to residents informing them of the source. In Orinda, police issued a shelter-in-place order because of the smoke.

-Image via Oakland Firefighters

Also See:

Vicious Dog Bites Off Woman's Finger
Man Found Murdered In East Bay Hotel Room
Woman Blinded By Bleach Attack In San Francisco
Attempted Burglary Suspects, Getaway Car Photos Released
Lottery Ticket Sold In East Bay Worth $23,755
Is This East Bay Wine Tasting Room One Of The Best In Country?
Sorry, California: Aug. 21, 2017, Total Solar Eclipse Will Only Be Partial In The Golden State
Perseids, Delta Aquarids: Summer Meteor Shower Peak Dates