Update: Berkeley warehouse fire caused $1M in damage
A private insurance company and Union Pacific are each "conducting independent investigations into the cause," BFD said this week.
Update, Aug. 14: A fire at a vacant commercial building in Berkeley late last month caused more than $1 million in damage, according to preliminary estimates.
"We cannot conclude with 100% certainty the cause of the fire," the Berkeley Fire Department said Wednesday. "However, the fire appears to have started from the rear exterior of the vacant commercial building and worked its way inside."
A private insurance company and Union Pacific are also "conducting independent investigations into the cause," BFD said.
Original story, July 31: A fire that broke out overnight at an industrial warehouse in southwest Berkeley is under investigation Wednesday, authorities report.
The fire at 701 Heinz Ave., just east of the railroad tracks, may have begun as a grass fire that spread to a vacant commercial building nearby.
"The fire is still under investigation and no damage costs have been determined," BFD said in a statement at 12:25 p.m.
No injuries were reported.
An alarm company called the Berkeley dispatch center just after 2:40 a.m. with a 911 report about a smoke and heat detector activation at 701 Heinz.
Someone also called dispatch at about the same time to report a grass fire behind the building.
"Crews arrived to find a grass fire that was extending into a structure and requested the incident be upgraded to a structure response," the Berkeley Fire Department said.
A structure fire at 701 Heinz Ave. on July 31, 2024. Berkeley Fire Fighters Association
"During the incident, an electrical transformer caught fire and exploded," BFD said, "causing a power line to fall onto a parked vehicle."
The roof at 701 Heinz Ave. partially collapsed during the fire, which was eventually upgraded to a three-alarm response.
Crews ultimately "transitioned into a defensive operation … and the third alarm response was canceled," BFD said.
The fire was declared under control at 7:10 a.m., BFD said shortly after publication.
Power still out for some near Berkeley fire on Heinz
The morning after: The scene of the fire on Heinz Avenue, July 31, 2024. Heidi Sachs
Firefighters from Oakland and Alameda County assisted in the operation.
Berkeley police helped with evacuation notices to nearby buildings and with traffic control in the area, BFD said.
PG&E shut down power in the area.
As of publication time, power was still out for about 40 PG&E customers in the area, according to the agency's outage map.
Note: The Scanner requested information from BFD before 9 a.m. but did not hear back until 12:25 p.m.
