Berkeley Fire brought a quarter-acre Berkeley fire in West Berkeley under control at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday after police closed West Frontage Road between Gilman Street and University Avenue during the response.
The fire burned on West Frontage Road at Virginia Street. Police reported in a Nixle alert at 2 p.m. that Frontage Road was closed to all vehicle traffic between University Avenue and Gilman Street, giving crews room to work as the fire response developed.
The Berkeley Fire Department established a perimeter around the fire at 2:15 p.m. The fire had grown to a quarter-acre by that point, and smoke was visible in ALERTCalifornia footage.
By 2:30 p.m., Berkeley Fire declared the fire under control and units transitioned to overhaul and mop up. That left the road closure as the most immediate issue for anyone trying to move through the West Berkeley corridor while crews finished securing the scene.
The fire’s cause remained unknown at 2:15 p.m. That leaves the practical question for West Berkeley and anyone traveling that stretch of road: what caused the vegetation fire on West Frontage Road at Virginia Street?
