Berkeley fire on College Avenue leaves 1 man dead

A man has died after an apartment fire on College Avenue in Berkeley on Wednesday morning, authorities report.

Firefighters found two men trapped and rescued them, one from a balcony and one from inside the building, the Berkeley Fire Department said Wednesday.

The second man sustained critical injuries and ultimately did not survive, officials said just before 1 p.m.

The fire, in the Southside neighborhood north of the Elmwood district, displaced six people.

The incident began just before 8:25 a.m. in the 2500 block of College Avenue, just south of Dwight Way, when a caller reported heavy white smoke coming from the building, where the alarm was sounding, and one person possibly trapped inside.

When firefighters arrived, there was "light smoke showing from one side of a three-story apartment complex. A second alarm was requested to support the response," BFD said.

Fire crews saw one man on a balcony and rescued him, and then rescued a second man after searching the building.

The second man was taken to the hospital in critical condition, BFD said, while the first man, who was also taken to the hospital, escaped with minor injuries, according to preliminary indications.

Firefighters were able to extinguish the fire after locating the source.

Berkeley Fire said the building sprinkler system helped keep the fire in check, while also noting that it had been tough to get inside "due to heavy content conditions."

There were no injuries to firefighters.

The fire's cause and any known damages remain under investigation.

College Avenue was closed in both directions near Dwight Way and Parker Street during the fire.

Berkeley has had a spate of serious fires in 2025

Historically, serious and deadly Berkeley fires have been rare events. This year has been different.

On Jan. 3, a 30-year-old homeless woman died in a tent fire on Fifth Street in northwest Berkeley.

Woman found dead after tent fire ID’d as Trinity Brooks

Her death does not appear to have been suspicious.

The Berkeley ScannerEmilie Raguso

Later the same month, a fire at an apartment building on Ashby Avenue near College Avenue displaced nine people in the Elmwood neighborhood.

Berkeley apartment fire displaces 9 people

“It was windy,” said one community member. “No warning for neighbors. Very scary in light of what is happening in LA.”

The Berkeley ScannerEmilie Raguso

In early February, two women sustained critical injuries in a house fire on Cedar Street in northwest Berkeley. A 61-year-old woman, who was bedridden, subsequently died, as did the family pet.

UPDATE: 1 dead, 1 critical after Berkeley house fire

Firefighters broke a window to get inside, performing a tactic known as a “vent, enter, search” to complete the first rescue, BFD said.

The Berkeley ScannerEmilie Raguso

How a Berkeley grandma, 84, saved family members amid fire

She pushed through burning flames to rouse her daughter and son-in-law. BFD rescued another daughter, who was bedridden, but she later died.

The Berkeley ScannerFrances Dinkelspiel

In April, a 64-year-old disabled woman who was trapped inside during a house fire on Derby Street died after being rescued by firefighters.

Update: Disabled woman dead after Berkeley apartment fire

On April 11, authorities released the name of the woman who died. She was 64-year-old Michelle Ann Mulder.

The Berkeley ScannerEmilie Raguso

Less than a week later, a fire destroyed the East Bay Media Center on Addison Street in downtown Berkeley.

Fire tears through East Bay Media Center overnight

BFD found 20- to 30-foot flames breaching the roof, “touching adjacent buildings [and] threatening to engulf the surrounding structures.”

The Berkeley ScannerEmilie Raguso

Stay tuned for ongoing coverage.

Note: This story was updated after publication to include context about other serious fires this year. The neighborhood was also updated from Elmwood to Southside.