3-alarm fire sweeps through commercial buildings in Berkeley

A huge fire swept through a pair of commercial buildings in Berkeley early Wednesday morning.

The Berkeley Fire Department said the initial call was at 2:42 a.m. for a fire on the 700 block of Heinz Avenue in Southwest Berkeley next to the train tracks bordering Aquatic Park.

The fire was quickly upgraded to a second alarm and then to a third alarm as the flames engulfed the one-story building which appeared to be vacant with a "for lease" sign in front of it and spread to an adjacent building.

Berkeley Fire Battalion Chief Bill Kehoe told CBS News Bay Area that firefighters had limited access to the west side of the fire because of the active train tracks. The fire gutted the first building and collapsed the roof, but the second building was saved because of a fire wall in between them, Kehoe said.

There were no injuries reported and no one was in either building, Kehoe said.

The fire also downed a power line which started a second small fire and knocked out power to the immediate area, the Fire Department said.

The cause of the fire was being investigated.