Crime & Safety

Smoke Blankets Berkeley – Residents Advised to Stay Indoors

Smoke from fires near Suisun City and Benicia spread to Berkeley and its neighbors Friday afternoon, prompting a advisory from the Bay Area Air Quality Management for residents to remain indoors with windows and doors closed.

All the smoke you can see and smell in Berkeley and nearby cities this afternoon, Friday, comes from grass fires in the North Bay, authorities said.

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District issued an advisory this afternoon recommending that residents, especially those with lung conditions like asthma, remain indoors with windows and doors closed.

Prevailing winds from the northeast are blowing smoke from a large fire in Solano County and another fire in Benicia into the East Bay, according to an advisory from the Alameda Fire Department.

A Cal Fire spokesman said the fire in Solano County broke out near Suisun City this afternoon and had spread to more 1,000 acres by 3:45 p.m., according to Bay City News Service.

Another fire in vegetation forced the closure of the eastbound Interstate Highway 780 off-ramp in Benicia this afternoon, Bay City News reported.

The National Weather Service earlier this week issued a "Red Flag" fire alert, especially for the East Bay and North Bay hills, because of the combination of high winds, warm temperatures, low humidity and dry fuels. 

A brush fire scorched two acres at the Berkeley waterfront on Wednesday afternoon.



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