Alameda Fire Department (AFD) put out fires on both the east and west ends of the island over the weekend, and are still investigating how they started.
On Friday night, January 25, at least three fires were set on Park Street, and on Saturday, January 26, an encampment fire broke out near the dog park by the Main Street Ferry Terminal, according to AFD.
Park Street fires
The fires on Park Street were reported at around 10 p.m., AFD told the Alameda Post in a short statement.
“The Alameda Fire Department responded to the report of an outside fire in the area of Park Street and Central Avenue on January 25, 2025, at approximately 10:03 p.m.,” the statement noted. “Two engines with a total of six personnel responded to this incident.”
At the same time, another fire on Park Street was apparently intentionally set at almost the same time, according to Greg MacDonald, a citizen who reported the fires, took photographs, and posted on the Alameda Peeps Facebook group.
“Someone lit a couch on fire in front of Tomatina at Park Street and Alameda Avenue,” MacDonald stated in his post. “We then saw a trash can on fire on Park and Central right outside of Star Pizza. We called the Fire Department and they asked if we were reporting the parking meter on fire on Park Street and Santa Clara Avenue.”
The post continued, warning, “Be on the lookout for additional fires. Someone is obviously walking down Park Street and setting fires. We called 911 at 10:01 p.m., so the fires appear to have started right before then.”
MacDonald posted photographs of the burnt couch, the trash can remnants after the fire, and a parking meter with a plastic cover that was partially melted after being set on fire.
AFD told the Post: “Firefighters located two separate outside fires in this area and extinguished both fires with no damage or spread to surrounding buildings. The cause of these fires are under investigation.”
Alameda Point encampment fire
Early the next evening, a fire broke out on Alameda Point at an encampment near the dog park by the Main Street Ferry Terminal.
“Alameda Fire Department responded to an outside fire in the 3000 block of Main Street this evening at approximately 5:10 p.m.,” AFD reported on their Facebook page. “Firefighters extinguished the encampment fire, containing the spread to the side of the road and some nearby vegetation.”
No injuries reported, according to AFD. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
