Compiled by AFD Captain Rick Murray and Dennis Evanosky

Monday, April 30

Oil spill

At 4 p.m., firefighters from Fire Station No. 3 responded to the report of oil spilled onto the roadway at the intersection of Pacific Avenue and Paru Street. Firefighters arrived and found a small amount of motor oil left in a bag on the roadway. The oil had spilled out onto the street. Firefighters used absorbent to contain and remove the motor oil. They took measures to prevent any oil from entering the storm drain and properly discarded the oil.

In their role as paramedics, Alameda firefighters responded to 10 calls for emergency medical services on Monday, April 30.

Tuesday, May 1

Smoking trash can

At 2:36 p.m., firefighters from Fire Station No. 2 responded to the report of a smoking garbage can on the corner of Santa Clara Avenue and Webster Street. When the firefighters arrived, they saw a small fire inside the trash can, and used a water extinguisher to put out the blaze. There was no property damage; the cause of the fire is undetermined.

Helping hand

At 5:15 p.m., firefighters from Fire Station No. 1 responded to the report of an alarm sounding at a home on the 1600 block of Gould Court. When they arrived, crewmembers spoke with the homeowner who said that her smoke detector was malfunctioning. Firefighters helped her fix the alarm.

Blazing sofa

At 6:51 p.m., firefighters from Fire Station No. 1 responded to the report of a fire on the sidewalk on the 2500 block of Clement Avenue. When they arrived, firefighters discovered a discarded sofa and chair on fire. Crewmembers used a pre-connected hose line to extinguish the blaze. They overhauled the debris to make certain that the fire was completely out and called a Public Works crew to dispose of the burned debris. 

In their role as paramedics, Alameda firefighters responded to 12 calls for emergency medical services on Tuesday, May 1.

Wednesday, May 2

Broken alarm

At 1:23 p.m., firefighters from Fire Station No. 1 responded to the report of an alarm sounding at a commercial building on the 2300 block of Lincoln Avenue. When they arrived on scene firefighters spoke with the building's employees who told them that the alarm sounded for a brief moment, then stopped. Firefighters inspected the alarm panel which showed that no alarm had sounded. Crewmembers walked the property and found no reason for the alarm to sound. They advised the property owner to have the alarm system inspected and cleared the call.

Electrical problem

At 8:05 p.m., firefighters from stations across Alameda responded to the report of the strong smell of smoke at a home on the 3200 block of Fernside Boulevard. When crewmembers arrived, they noticed a burning odor inside the home. Firefighters made a thorough inspection, but were unable to locate the source of the smell. They advised homeowner to have an electrician inspect the home. 

In their role as paramedics, Alameda firefighters responded to 15 calls for emergency medical services on Wednesday, May 2.

Thursday, May 3

Ongoing issue

At 2:11 p.m., firefighters from Fire Station No. 1 responded to the report of an unusual oily material on the sidewalk on the 1300 block of Mound Street. Firefighters arrived and determined this was an ongoing issue between the property owner and city. There was no emergency.

In their role as paramedics, Alameda firefighters responded to 14 calls for emergency medical services on Thursday, May 3.

Friday, May 4

Car blaze

At 12:40 a.m., firefighters from Fire Station No. 1 responded to the report of a vehicle fire on the 2200 block of Buena Vista Avenue. When they arrived, crewmembers found a parked car with flames coming from underneath the engine compartment. They opened the hood and used a pre-connected hose line to quickly extinguish the fire. They disconnected the vehicle's battery and made certain that all hot spots had cooled. The vehicle's owner told the firefighters that he was driving along when smoke began to billow from under his hood. He parked the vehicle, and the engine caught fire. When the fire was out, the owner arranged for a tow service. 

In their role as paramedics, Alameda firefighters responded to 18 calls for emergency medical services on Friday, May 4.

Saturday, May 5

Malfunction

At 2:11 p.m., firefighters from Fire Station No. 1 responded to the report of a carbon-monoxide alarm sounding on the 1700 block of Versailles Avenue. When crewmembers arrived they spoke with the homeowner who said the alarm had suddenly begun to sound. Firefighters used an atmospheric gas monitor to inspect the air for the presence of hazardous gases, but found none. They advised the homeowner to replace the malfunctioning detector.

Nobody home

At 4:10 p.m., firefighters from Fire Station No. 4 responded to the report of an alarm sounding at a home on the 100 block of Orr Road. When they arrived on scene, crewmembers learned that they were listening to a broken alarm sounding from inside a vacant house. They determined that there was no emergency and cleared the call.

False calls

Between 4:22 p.m. and 5:31 p.m. firefighters responded to three false alarms: two at the Extended Stay Hotel on South Loop Road and one on Park Street. Technicians who were inspecting the hotel's alarm system had accidentally set off the alarms. On Park Street firefighters learned that a child had pulled a wall alarm for no apparent reason.

Neglected charcoal

At 8:54 p.m., firefighters from Fire Station No. 2 responded to the report of the smell of something burning on the 400 block of Pacific Avenue. When they arrived on scene, crewmembers discovered discarded charcoal that was smoldering. Firefighters watered the area down to put a stop to the smoldering. 

In their role as paramedics, Alameda firefighters responded to 14 calls for emergency medical services on Saturday, May 5.

Sunday, May 6

False alarm

At 2:01 p.m., firefighters from Fire Station No. 4 answered another false alarm at the Extended Stay Hotel on South Loop Road. Then at 3:21 p.m., firefighters from Fire Station No. 2 responded to the report of an alarm sounding at an apartment complex on the 400 block of Buena Vista Avenue. When they arrived on scene they learned that someone had pulled a wall alarm for no apparent reason.

Trash fire

At 5:36 p.m., firefighters from Fire Station No. 2 responded to the report of a trash fire on the 200 block of Maple Way. Firefighters arrived to find a pile of discarded trash debris and dried grass on fire near an apartment complex. They used pre-connected hose lines and foam to quickly extinguish the fire. Crewmembers overhauled all burned debris to make sure it had completely cooled. The cause of the fire is under investigation. There was no significant property damage. 

In their role as paramedics, Alameda firefighters responded to 20 calls for emergency medical services on Sunday, May 6.

Monday, May 7

Fires not OK

At 10:25 p.m., firefighters from Fire Station No. 3 responded to the report of a fire on the beach near Shore Line Drive and Grand Street. When they arrived firefighters found a small bonfire on the beach. The people who started the fire put it out when the firefighters arrived. Crewmembers advised the beachgoers that the city has an ordinance against outdoor fires and cleared the call. 

In the role as paramedics, Alameda firefighters responded to 18 calls for emergency medical services on Monday, May 7.

Tuesday, May 8

Needs repair

At 12:28 p.m., firefighters from Fire Station No. 1 responded to the 1000 block of Mound Street to investigate the report of a smoking washing machine. When firefighters arrived, they spoke with the homeowner who explained that her washing machine began to smoke while in operation. Firefighters noticed that the machine was smoking slightly. They pulled the plug and advised the homeowner to call a repairperson.

Waterworks

At 12:34 p.m., firefighters from Fire Station No. 2 responded to the report of a sheared-off fire hydrant on Orion Street. When they arrived on scene, firefighters saw water shooting into the air. They used a tool to help turn off the water and called East Bay Municipal Utilities District (EBMUD) to the scene. The EBMUD crew arrived and repaired the hydrant.

Nothing in the air

At 4:47 p.m., firefighters from Fire Station No. 2 responded to the report of an unusual odor in the neighborhood around Invincible Court. When they arrived on scene firefighters were not able to smell anything unusual. They advised the reporting party to call back if the odor returned and cleared the call.

Something in the air

At 6:11 p.m., firefighters from Fire Station No. 1 responded to the report of smoke on the 2200 block of Santa Clara Avenue. Firefighters arrived and noticed a slight odor of smoke. They located its source at a nearby chimney. There were no problems; the homeowners were burning a log in their fireplace.

Here we go again

At 6:46 p.m., firefighters from Fire Station No. 2 responded to another sheared off fire hydrant on the 300 block of Stardust Place. This time the firefighters were able completely turn off the water. They called EBMUD to make necessary repairs.

Blazing trash can

At 10:07 p.m., firefighters from Fire Station No. 3 responded to the report of a trashcan fire on Linden Street. When they arrived, firefighters discovered a burning can. They put out the small fire and checked the burned debris to make sure the fire was out. Crewmembers determined that hot coals in the trashcan had cause the fire.

In their role as paramedics, Alameda firefighters responded to eight calls for emergency medical services on Tuesday, May 8.

Wednesday, May 9

Smoky apartment No. 1

At 8:24 a.m., firefighters from Fire Station No. 2 responded to the report of an alarm sounding at an apartment complex on the 500 block of Buena Vista Avenue. When they arrived firefighters could see smoke coming from the second floor of a building. They spoke to a tenant who told them that he had put out a small fire inside a trash can, but excessive smoke had set off the hallway smoke alarm. Firefighters made sure that the fire was out, helped ventilate the building, reset the building's alarm system and cleared the call.

Smoky apartment No. 2

At 10:28 a.m., firefighters from Fire Station No. 1 responded to the report of smoke inside an apartment on the 2100 block of Clinton Avenue. When they arrived, crewmembers spoke with the tenant who said he had burned some food. Firefighters made certain there was no fire, took the burned food outside, helped ventilate the building and cleared the call

Grass fire

At 2:44 p.m., firefighters from Fire Station No. 4 responded to the report of a small grass fire at the intersection of Wellfleet Bay and Oyster Pond Road. When they arrived, crewmembers found a small area of dried grass and landscaping material was smoldering. They used a booster line to make certain that the fire was completely out and cleared the call.

Smoky house

At 5:26 p.m., firefighters from Fire Station No. 1 responded to the report of smoke inside a home on the 1200 block of Broadway. When they arrived firefighters spoke with the homeowner who told them that a small fire had started on her stove, but she had put it out with a dry-chemical fire extinguisher. Crewmembers made sure the fire was out and that it hadn't burned the walls around the stove. They used a power fan to help ventilate the house and cleared the call.

False call

At 5:49 p.m., firefighters from Fire Station No. 2 responded to a false alarm on the 500 block of Buena Vista Avenue.

Smoky smell

At 10:28 p.m., firefighters from Fire Station No. 2 responded to the report of an unusual odor at a home on the 300 block of Corpus Christi Road. When firefighters arrived they spoke with the home-owner who told them that when he turned on the heater he began to notice the smell of smoke. Crewmembers could also smell the smoke. They inspected the home to make sure there was no fire and advised the homeowner to have the heater cleaned and repaired before using it again.

In their role as paramedics, Alameda firefighters responded to 13 calls for emergency medical services on Wednesday, May 9.

Thursday, May 10

Assisting the police

At 11:09 a.m., Alameda Police Department called firefighters from Fire Station No. 3 to the 1600 block of Dayton Avenue to help gain access to a roof with a ladder.

Patio blaze

At 6:24 p.m., firefighters from Fire Station No. 2 responded to the report of a small fire at a home on the 100 block of Stardust Place. When they arrived, firefighters discovered a small outdoor patio table on fire. They used a booster line to put out the fire. The cause of the fire is suspicious.

Smoky apartment No. 3

At 10:39 p.m., firefighters from Fire Station No. 2 responded to the report of an alarm sounding at an apartment complex on the 900 block of Shorepoint Court. When they arrived, crewmembers were directed to the second floor of the building where an odor of smoke was reported. Crewmembers spoke with a tenant who explained that he had burned some food on his stove and set off the smoke detector in the hallway. Firefighters inspected the apartment to make sure there was no fire and used a power fan to ventilate smoke from the apartment and hallway. They reset the building's alarm system and cleared the call.

In their role as paramedics, Alameda firefighters responded to 13 calls for emergency medical services on Thursday, May 10.

Friday, May 11

Smoky apartment No. 4

At 1:13 p.m., firefighters from Fire Station No. 2 responded to the report of an alarm sounding at an apartment complex on the 500 block of Buena Vista Avenue. When they arrived they could hear the alarm sounding. Bystanders directed crewmembers to the third floor where smoke was seen. They spoke with a tenant who said that he had burned some food on his stove. Firefighters made certain that there was no fire, used a power fan to ventilate the apartment, reset the building's alarm system and cleared the call.

The smell of gas

At 7:16 p.m., firefighters from Fire Station No. 4 responded to the report of the odor of natural gas inside a home on the 3300 block of Fir Avenue. When they arrived on scene, firefighters learned that the homeowner had replaced the water heater earlier in the day and now smelled natural gas inside the home. Firefighters used the atmospheric monitor to inspect the air for the presence of natural gas, but found nothing. They turned off the gas to the water heater and called for Pacific Gas & Electric Co. (PG&E) to the scene to inspect the gas fittings. Firefighters cleared the call when the PG&E crew arrived. 

In their role as paramedics, Alameda firefighters responded to 15 calls for emergency medical services on Friday, May 11.

Saturday, May 12

Another leaking hydrant

At 1:20 a.m., firefighters responded to West Essex Drive at Pearl Harbor Road to investigate the report of a leaking fire hydrant. When they arrived on scene crewmembers found the leaking hydrant but were unable to turn it off. They called EBMUD to the scene and cleared the call.

More burned food

At 3:01 a.m., firefighters from Fire Station No. 4 responded to Extended Stay Hotel to investigate the report of an alarm sounding there. When they arrived hotel staff explained that a toaster had caused excessive smoke that activated the building's smoke alarm. Crewmembers after finding no emergency, used a power fan to remove smoke from the hallway, reset the building's alarm system and cleared the call.

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