Fire in Berkeley sends plume of black smoke into air

A fire on the 2000 block of Blake Street in Berkeley broke out on April 14, 2020. A fire on the 2000 block of Blake Street in Berkeley broke out on April 14, 2020. Photo: Seung Lee/Courtesy Photo: Seung Lee/Courtesy Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Fire in Berkeley sends plume of black smoke into air 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

A fire in Berkeley sent a large plume of dark smoke into the air that could briefly be seen all over the East Bay on Tuesday.

The fire broke out a little after noon at a two-story residence on Blake Street between MLK and Shattuck and spread to some nearby structures.

As of 3:30 p.m., fire crews were still battling the blaze and keeping car traffic out of the area while they do so. Residences and businesses on the street have been evacuated and PG&E was on the scene as some power lines were affected, Berkeley police said. The public is asked to avoid the area between Blake, Shattuck Avenue, Parker and Milvia.

Red Cross is also on the scene to assist any residents who will be displaced by the fire. The number of affected individuals is not yet known, although Berkeleyside reported there are no injuries to civilians or firefighters.