Update: Berkeley Hills house fire extinguished Thursday
Over the radio, firefighters described the home as "fully engulfed" and called for traffic control in the neighborhood.
Update, 7:45 p.m. The homeowner, a tenant and her three cats all escaped injury Thursday evening after a fire broke out in their Berkeley Hills home.
The tenant only realized what was happening when she heard a neighbor yelling "fire," she told The Scanner.
Community members helped her pack her pets into their carriers and get them outside, she said.
As of publication time, the fire's cause remained under investigation, authorities said.
Berkeley Fire Battalion Chief DeJuan Turner said firefighters had arrived to Arlington Avenue to find flames coming from the attic to the rear of the three-story downslope home.
They extinguished the fire, with no injuries to occupants or firefighters, before it spread to any surrounding property, he said.
According to radio traffic, the fire was declared under control at about 6 p.m.
Most of the fire damage was contained to the home's converted attic and some exterior decking.
Turner said crews would likely remain on the block until after 8 p.m. PG&E was also at the scene.
Turner said the American Red Cross was en route to help the displaced tenant and her pets.
The tenant told The Scanner she was grateful to her neighbors for their help at a critical moment.
And she urged other community members to have a plan in place for their pets in case of disaster.
Update, 6:05 p.m. In a Nixle alert, authorities reported that Arlington Avenue was closed from Thousand Oaks Boulevard to San Luis Road due to the house fire: "The roadway is closed in both directions to vehicle and pedestrian traffic."
Original story: Local firefighters are working to extinguish a house fire Thursday evening in the Berkeley Hills, according to early reports.
The Berkeley Fire Department was dispatched at about 5:20 p.m. to a residential fire at Arlington Avenue and Santa Barbara Road, according to radio traffic reviewed by The Scanner.
Witnesses described black smoke in the air.
Arriving firefighters found "heavy fire and smoke showing" when they got to the scene a few minutes later.
Firefighters described the home as "fully engulfed" and called for traffic control in the neighborhood.
As of publication time, they were still reporting active fire in the residence.
The Scanner has asked BFD for details.
Stay tuned for updates.
