Dong said firefighter investigators have not yet developed any theories as to the fire’s cause.
The fire was upgraded to three-alarm status at 9:12 p.m. at which time Albany, Oakland and Alameda County fire departments were called for assistance through mutual aid. Dong said the two residences sustained “extensive damage.”
The fire departments declared the fire under control at 10:41 p.m., though Dong said the Berkeley Fire Department remained on the scene throughout the night to watch for hot spots. BFD was still on site at about 1 p.m. Thursday afternoon investigating the origin of the fire, according to Dong.
None of the six displaced residents were injured, but two firefighters were treated for heat exhaustion, one was treated for a knee sprain and one for an ankle sprain.
Firefighters encountered an additional obstacle when a power line detached from one of the houses and fell onto one of the Berkeley agency’s fire engines.
Dong said the downed power line caused a delay because “firefighters had to hook up water from a different engine to continue the firefighting operation.”
According to PG&E spokesperson Tamar Sarkissian, an additional service line damaged by the fire caused a power outage in the affected residences as well as a third home next door. Sarkissian said power will be restored to the third home once the fire equipment is removed.
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