A blaze in south Berkeley is under control after the second-alarm fire spread to two buildings and forced a nearby nursing center to be temporarily evacuated.
The first fire was reported at 10:45 a.m. at 3009 Deakin St. but was large enough that it extended next door to 3019 Deakin St., according to Deputy Fire Chief Gil Dong. The smoke from the fire also drifted into the Ashby Care Center, Dong said.
The fire was under control by 11:30 a.m. The department has identified the area of origin as a laundry room where a washer and dryer unit were located, Dong said. He added that the department has not determined an exact ignition source yet.
Berkeley Police Department officers assisted with evacuating 31 patients from the center while natural ventilation and electric motors helped clear the building of smoke, according to Dong. All patients returned to the center after about two hours.
“We’re going to be on-scene to make sure the fire doesn’t reignite,” Dong said.
Chloe Hunt covers crime. Contact her at [email protected]
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