Berkeley hazmat: Shelter-in-place issued for Colusa Ave.

Local authorities coordinated throughout the weekend to determine how to dispose of hazardous materials that had been stored for years at a North Berkeley home.

The coordination involved not just Berkeley firefighters and police but neighboring agencies as well, The Scanner has learned.

On Monday morning, city officials advised residents “within a roughly one-block radius of the intersection of Colusa and Tacoma avenues” to “shelter in place or leave the area” by 10:30 a.m. “until an all-clear is posted.”

Authorities said “residents in this area … should prepare to be out of the area or inside your home for at least the entire day,” adding: “To keep you, your household, and others safe, you will not be able to come and go.”

On Friday, a resident on Colusa Avenue, north of Solano Avenue, called the city for advice about decades-old photography chemicals they wanted to get rid of, multiple sources told The Scanner.

Scroll down for the full advisory.

The photo supplies were a concern because they become increasingly unstable as they age — and can be explosive.

Authorities discussed removing the chemicals Friday, but ultimately required only the homeowners to leave until the situation was resolved, sources said.

Police have been parked outside the affected home since then to ensure it was secure.

The potential threat was initially compared to dynamite but later downgraded to something more like a pipe bomb.

In Monday’s notice, the city said only that the photography lab chemicals had become “toxic, heat-sensitive, and volatile.”

Over the weekend, after extensive consultation, Berkeley authorities ultimately made the decision to transport the chemicals away from the residential neighborhood to a safer location where they could be destroyed, sources said.

The operation is set to take place Monday, with several evacuations expected on Colusa.

According to Monday’s notice, posted shortly after 9 a.m., most residents in the area will be allowed to stay in their homes as long as they stay inside.

The city is coordinating directly with affected neighbors who need a different place to stay.

Thousand Oaks Elementary School, at 840 Colusa Ave., will not be affected because it was already set to be closed Monday, authorities said.

The full advisory appears below.

Shelter-in-place issued for North Berkeley neighborhood

Residents within a roughly one-block radius of the intersection of Colusa and Tacoma avenues in North Berkeley should shelter in place or leave the area no later than 10:30 a.m. Monday, January 26, 2026, until an all-clear is posted on the City’s emergency communications channels. 

Residents in this area, which is visible on the City’s emergency map, should prepare to be out of the area or inside your home for at least the entire day. 

This shelter in place order will keep residents safe as Berkeley Fire, Berkeley Police, and neighboring agencies protect the area and remove home photography lab chemicals that have become toxic, heat-sensitive, and volatile.

Ensure that you have signed up all phone numbers in your home for AC Alert, the City’s emergency alert system, which sends text and email updates. AC Alert will be used to send updates on this incident as well as the final all-clear message.

For residents in the area sheltering in place:

You’ll need to decide whether you’ll be inside your home or out of the area no later than 10:30 a.m. To keep you, your household, and others safe, you will not be able to come and go.

We are removing hazardous materials from a home. For your safety, once we get an all clear from our emergency crews, we will open this area to residents and others.

The City activated its Emergency Operations Center to coordinate the emergency response across City departments and neighboring agencies.

This article was updated after publication due to the developing nature of events.