Executive Summary
- Authorities issued a shelter-in-place order for North Berkeley due to volatile chemicals at a residence.
- The exclusion zone covers four blocks near Colusa and Tacoma avenues, impacting a local school.
- Emergency crews are removing toxic, heat-sensitive home photography lab compounds.
- Residents were given until 10:30 a.m. to evacuate or shelter indoors for the duration of the day.
- A temporary shelter has been established at the James Kenney Community Center.
Authorities in North Berkeley issued a shelter-in-place order Tuesday morning for residents near Colusa Avenue as emergency crews work to remove volatile chemicals from a residential property. The directive affects a perimeter spanning roughly four city blocks, including the area surrounding a local school.
According to a notice posted on the City of Berkeley’s website, police and firefighters established an exclusion zone centered on the 800 block of Colusa Avenue. Officials sent an electronic alert shortly after 9:00 a.m. instructing residents within a block of the intersection at Colusa and Tacoma avenues to either evacuate immediately or remain inside their homes. The deadline for residents to decide whether to leave or shelter in place was set for 10:30 a.m., with authorities emphasizing that individuals would not be permitted to cross the police line once operations commenced.
The emergency response was triggered by the discovery of "home photography lab chemicals that have become toxic, heat-sensitive and volatile," city officials stated in the advisory. The notice warned that aged chemicals used in photo processing can degrade over time, posing significant risks of flammability or explosion. Emergency workers are tasked with stabilizing and removing the hazardous materials from the residence.
For those choosing to evacuate or those currently displaced, the James Kenney Community Center at 1720 Eighth St. has been designated as a temporary shelter. Authorities noted that pet services are available at the center, though owners are required to provide food, medications, and necessary supplies for their animals.
Officials indicated that the operation is expected to require the exclusion zone to remain active for "at least the entire day." Updates regarding the status of the area, including the final all-clear signal, will be disseminated through the Alameda County AC Alert system.
Hazardous Material Protocols
The incident underscores the public safety challenges associated with the long-term storage of chemical agents in residential zones. In scenarios involving volatile compounds such as degraded darkroom chemicals, fire and safety regulations prioritize establishing a wide perimeter to mitigate the impact of potential combustion or toxic fumes. The operational timeline, extending throughout the day, reflects the meticulous nature of hazardous material removal, where stability and containment take precedence over speed to ensure the safety of the densely populated surrounding neighborhood.
