Berkeley Hills fire: 'One of the scariest 30 minutes of my life'

Emily Starr was feeding her baby early Thursday morning when she began to hear pops and explosions outside.

The noises were louder than fireworks, all too common in the neighborhood due to illicit activity in the nearby Lawrence Hall of Science parking lot.

When Starr felt the house shake, her concern spiked. She woke her husband, Noah Starr, and asked him to find out what was happening.

In addition to their baby, the couple also has a toddler. They needed to find out if they had to leave.

When Noah looked outside, he saw flames rising 50 feet into the air just a few houses down.

“It was one of the scariest 30 minutes of my life,” he said.

The couple went outside as they worked to decide what to do next.

Emily repeatedly called an elderly neighbor to make sure she knew what was going on. She eventually came outside.

“I don’t have my shoes. I don’t have my wallet. Should we leave?” she asked Emily.

In the end, neighbors on Olympus didn’t have to evacuate, which is fortunate, since options are limited, to say the least.

Olympus Avenue is a narrow street in the Berkeley Hills that dead-ends in a cul-de-sac below Fairlawn Drive.

Aside from a fire trail that leads to the Lawrence Hall of Science and a steep stairway up the hill, there’s no way to get out.

For people with young children or mobility issues — neither option is a good one.

The Berkeley Fire Department got the first 911 call about the fire just before 3:56 a.m.

The caller said there was a house on fire in the 1500 block of Olympus Avenue.

Berkeley Fire crews arrived to find “heavy smoke and flames” at a house on the block. The residents were already outside.

During the response, a second structure, on Fairlawn Drive, also caught fire. Those residents were also able to get out on their own.

BFD ultimately initiated a second alarm, bringing more resources to the scene.

In addition to the damaged homes, at least one of which appeared to be completely gutted, the fire also ruptured a gas line and brought down a power line.

The Scanner has asked PG&E for details.

No injuries were reported, Berkeley Fire said, but five people were displaced.

No damage estimates were immediately available, BFD said.

An investigation is now being conducted and authorities will remain in the area throughout the day, said Dafina Dailey, spokeswoman for the Berkeley Fire Department.

Stay tuned for updates.