Smoky Fire In Tilden Park Prompts Berkeley Lab Evacuation

Firefighters from several local agencies are fighting a speedy, 10-acre brush fire on the hillsides of Tilden Park near Grizzly Peak and Fish Ranch roads.

Employees at Berkeley Lab said they were sent an email ordering their evacuation after power lines supplying the facility were cut as the fire neared. Personnel from the Berkeley Space Science Lab and MSRI buildings were being evacuated as a precaution, workers contacting NEWS24/680 reported. Another reader told NEWS24/680 that Berkeley Lab staff were all being told to leave and power was being cut as precaution due to the fire.

No official word of an evacuation has been received, though one lab spokesman said “portions” of the facility had been advised to let their workers go home.

Firefighters are aware of hikers, day-trippers and livestock in the area. A Shelter in Place order has been issued due to the amount of smoke given off by the blaze but no structures have been threatened and no evacuations ordered.

Local police issued smoke advisories for the area and callers not aware of the blaze continued to call regarding drift smoke spreading east across Contra Costa County.

By 2:20 pm, the fire had spread to 6-acres – mostly on Berkeley Lab property with additional spot fires reported on Grizzly Peak. No estimate of containment has been given, though firefighters appear to feel there are enough resources on hand to deal with this blaze.

Firefighters and apparatus – including aerial tankers and helicopters – arrived on scene from Moraga-Orinda, Oakland, Berkeley, CalFire and East Bay Regional Parks to join in fighting the blaze. A Contra Costa County Sheriff’s helicopter was also spotted making water drops on hot spots within the fire zone.