Inside the Berkeley animal shelter, at 1 Bolivar Drive, Sunday morning. The most extensive damage was under a stairway in the lobby, where pet supply donations are stored. Credit: Zac Farber/Berkeleyside
Berkeley’s city-run animal shelter near Aquatic Park is closed Sunday after a fire broke out overnight.
The fire burned through a heap of dog beds, blankets, food bags, leashes and other donated pet supplies collected under a central stairway. The building’s sprinkler system put out the blaze but left water damage in the lobby. The smell of smoke, which had blackened the walls and ceiling, was still pungent as of 10:30 a.m.
“The heavy fire doors prevented most of the smoke from entering the animal holding areas,” Kris Swanson of Berkeley Animal Care Services wrote in an email to volunteers sent at 1:50 a.m. Sunday. “We checked on all animals and they seem fine. We will continue to monitor them closely.”
Peter Radu, manager of Berkeley’s neighborhood services division, told Berkeleyside that the city was taking Sunday to clear the shelter of debris and “deal with the immediate aftermath.” Workers were wearing masks to protect themselves from the smoke.
Dog beds, blankets, food bags, leashes and other donated pet supplies were destroyed or left unusable from smoke damage. Credit: Zac Farber/Berkeleyside
Signs of smoke damage were evident Sunday morning. Credit: Zac Farber/Berkeleyside
Radu said he expected the shelter would open again on Monday.
After the sprinkler system turned on, Berkeley firefighters “arrived quickly,” Swanson wrote in her email.
Radu said the cause of the fire is under investigation. The Berkeley Fire Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
“We were very lucky,” Swanson said. “The animals will remain on site for now and staff will care for them.”
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Zac is editor-in-chief of Berkeleyside, where he has worked as a newsroom leader since April 2021. He specializes in shepherding move-the-needle accountability reporting and thoughtful, well-crafted features….
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