A woman was killed and two others were injured in a two-alarm fire at a multi-unit Berkeley residence early this morning, fire officials said.
Firefighters responded to the 2900 block of Lorina Street, a residential street near the intersection of Ashby and Shattuck avenues, at 2:36 a.m.
Upon arrival, firefighters found heavy fire blowing out the back of the three-story home, Deputy Fire Chief Gil Dong said. A woman was retrieved from the third floor attic area of the house, but did not survive injuries suffered in the fire and was pronounced dead at the scene, Dong said.
Two other people were injured in the fire and taken to a hospital by ambulance. One suffered from smoke inhalation and the other had minor burns, Dong said.
Firefighters were able to control the fire within about an hour, and while the house itself is still standing, firefighters are expecting there is heavy interior damage.
Eight people were inside the home when the fire started, including the woman who died. Five were residents of the home and three were visitors, Dong said. The displaced residents would be referred to the Red Cross, he said.
Dong said it was unclear if there were smoke detectors in the home, but that could have made a difference. "We'd like to remind residents to have working smoke detectors," he said.
