Update: Berkeley vegetation fire prompts air quality alert
Police closed West Frontage Road between Gilman Street and University Avenue during the fire response. Scroll down for updates.
The Berkeley Fire Department is responding to a quarter-acre vegetation fire in West Berkeley on Wednesday afternoon.
According to the Watch Duty app, police have closed West Frontage Road between Gilman Street and University Avenue.
Footage from ALERTCalifornia, a public safety and environmental monitoring program based at the University of California, San Diego, shows smoke billowing into the air.
The Scanner has requested information from the Berkeley Fire Department and will update this post as soon as more details become available.
Send tips and photos to The Scanner.
Update, 2 p.m. "Frontage Road is currently closed to all vehicle traffic between University Avenue and Gilman Street," police reported in a Nixle alert.
Update, 2:15 p.m. The Berkeley Fire Department has established a perimeter around the fire, which is located on West Frontage Road at Virginia Street, BFD said.
The cause of the fire remains unknown, the department said.
Update, 2:30 p.m. Berkeley Fire declared the fire "under control" at 2:30 p.m.
"Units have transitioned to overhaul and mop up," as per the WatchDuty app.
Update, 2:58 p.m. An air quality alert has been issued following Wednesday's fire in West Berkeley. It appears below in full.
The Air Quality Index (AQI) has reached Unhealthy levels.
The poor air quality is due to smoke from an earlier fire along the Bay shoreline.
The fire is now under control, but the smoke is lingering. Do not call 911 for information.
Everyone should limit outdoor exertion. Staying indoors with windows and doors closed is the best way to protect your health.
Keep Yourself and Others Safe
Check on others. Older adults, pregnant people, children, and people with respiratory illnesses are at greatest risk.
Smoke can irritate the eyes and airways, causing cough, a dry, scratchy throat, runny nose, trouble breathing, and irritated sinuses. Stay hydrated by drinking water during heavy smoke events.
Set air conditioning units and car vent systems to recirculate to prevent outside air from moving inside.
Respirators & Masks
N-95 respirators are no substitute for being indoors. See the California Air Resources Board’s Smoke Ready California to learn more about using N-95’s during poor air quality.
Update, 3:25 p.m. Reader Staci Prado (BeFree Photography) was monitoring fire dispatches while the incident unfolded.
"The trucks were rotating to go and fill up to bring water back to the other trucks which went on for quite a while," she said. "The smoke was so thick in the air that they were getting calls from all around West Berkeley about smoke alarms going off."
Ryan Johnson shared these scenes of smoke shrouding Berkeley during the fire.
"We saw ash falling as far up as Sacramento Street, but it probably went farther as well," said Ethan Lasiewski, who shared these photos.
This story was updated repeatedly due to the developing nature of events.
