Community

BPD: More details about this week's hazmat on Colusa

In an official statement, Berkeley police provided more insight into how it approached Monday's operation.

Berkeley police at work during Monday's hazmat operation, Jan. 26, 2026. Emilie Raguso/TBS

The Berkeley Police Department provided the following statement about this week's hazmat incident on Colusa Avenue.

The Scanner already reported much of this information in two reports — which include material that has not been reported elsewhere — but the new statement includes several additional details about this week's operation.

It appears below in full.

On Friday, Berkeley Fire Department responded to a private residence in the 800 block of Colusa Avenue after a resident reported several bottles of potentially hazardous chemicals stored in a basement.

Following an initial assessment, firefighters determined that the situation required specialized hazardous materials personnel. The building was secured, and residents were asked to temporarily leave the home as a precaution.

The chemicals were consistent with materials commonly used in an older home photography laboratory. One chemical was identified as picric acid, a substance that is toxic, heat-sensitive, and highly volatile. According to the residents, the chemicals had likely been stored in the basement for several decades.

In its dry crystalline state, picric acid can be extremely sensitive to movement and is often destroyed in place due to the risk of detonation. After consulting with multiple specialists, including local, state, and federal partners, emergency personnel determined that the quantity of picric acid present was equivalent to approximately one pipe bomb.

A plan was developed for Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technicians to carefully remove the picric acid. The bottles were placed into a specialized containment device known as a “frag bag” and prepared for transport to a location where they could be safely disposed of.

As a precautionary measure, three neighboring households were evacuated. Fire and medical personnel were staged nearby, and a shelter-in-place order was issued for the surrounding neighborhood. A representative from the City’s Health Department was also on scene.

EOD technicians transported the picric acid in a slow-moving convoy consisting of a bomb truck and trailer, fire engines, an ambulance, and a police escort to maintain a safety buffer from the public. Once officers secured a parking lot at the marina, the EOD team safely destroyed the picric acid through a controlled detonation.

Meanwhile, Berkeley Fire’s Hazardous Materials Team remained at the residence to remove the other remaining chemicals (non-explosive) from the basement — to be transported by a private disposal company.

At about 4:30 pm, emergency personnel completed their operations, and the shelter-in-place order was lifted.

The City is grateful for the extensive coordination and assistance that made this operation successful. Support was provided by the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, California Office of Emergency Services, Northern California Regional Intelligence Center (NCRIC), Federal Bureau of Investigation, Albany Police and Fire Departments, Berkeley Health Department, Berkeley Public Works, PG&E, and the Berkeley Office of Emergency Management.