Berkeley Animal Shelter fire under investigation
All the animals are safe but there were signs of suspicious activity, officials said.
Authorities are investigating the cause of a suspicious fire over the weekend at the Berkeley Animal Shelter at 1 Bolivar Drive.
The fire was small and no animals were hurt or displaced, officials said.
But there were indications of suspicious activity, including a broken window in the vicinity of the fire, Deputy Berkeley Fire Chief Keith May told The Scanner.
And damage, including from smoke, closed the shelter to the public Sunday, Peter Radu told ABC7, with reopening expected by mid-week.
"I got the phone call maybe about 10:40 last night, that there was a fire here," Radu, who works in the city manager's office, told the news station. "My mind immediately went to: Oh, my God. This could be a horrible tragedy."
Readers alerted The Scanner to the fire Saturday night, asking for details.
The Berkeley Fire Department was initially notified just before 10:10 p.m.
It began with a sprinkler system alert indicating water flow, Chief May said.
At least one caller also saw flames inside the building, according to radio dispatches reviewed by The Scanner.
Arriving firefighters found a working fire beneath the first-floor stairwell where the shelter collects donations, May said.
The building sprinkler system "did its job," stopping the fire from spreading beyond the stairwell, he said.
Radu told ABC7 that the kennel fire doors also kept the animals safe.
The fire was declared under control before 10:30 p.m., according to emergency dispatches.
May said authorities will interview potential witnesses, including shelter staff, this week to learn more about what could have happened.
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