TBS Today, June 21

A fire at a homeless encampment kept first responders busy Friday morning on Harrison Street in northwest Berkeley.

BFD puts out encampment fire in northwest Berkeley
The fire broke out shortly before 7:30 a.m., creating a column of heavy black smoke visible from Albany to the Berkeley Hills.

We were also hoping to have a story about BPD activity Thursday morning but detectives are still working on the case. We'll follow up next week.

A reader also alerted us to a catalytic converter theft in the Berkeley Hills shortly before 6 a.m. today.

It happened near Fairlawn Drive and Arcade Avenue: "Was walking my dog - 3 men in a Black Nissan Altima in masks. I did not confront them as recent robberies have shown us these groups carry weapons on them."

Also Friday, we had a question about a bike crash at Hearst near Spruce at about 4:30 p.m. We confirmed with BPD that it was a solo collision.

The cyclist reportedly went over the handlebars, perhaps due to bad pavement nearby resulting from what one reader described as a "poorly patched utility cut."

He shared photos but asked to remain anonymous.

We'll be here working through the weekend to catch up on numerous stories.

If anything significant happens, be sure to let us know.

In case you missed it

Thank you so much to everyone who shared such kind feedback about yesterday's story on Yuan Cong.

There are certain stories that stick with you, and this was definitely one of them.

If you haven't gotten to check it out, bookmark it for a weekend "longread."

Cyclist death prompts lawsuit, traffic safety questions
Yuan Cong never regained consciousness after a car crash on Nov. 25, 2022. Buddhist monks prayed by his side for months.
Berkeley police investigate SUV fire, suspected arson
Firefighters extinguished the blaze quickly, thanks in part to a nearby hydrant. Many details remain unknown.

See all our recent stories. Learn more about our work.


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