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A South Berkeley construction crew was burned early Monday when fumes from a diesel mixture combusted. The crew was working on a new foundation in the basement of a five-unit building at the southeast corner of Milvia and Parker streets. 

Three men were rushed to Alta Bates Medical Center with burns. A fourth chose to be treated at the scene. 

The explosion torched all four walls of the basement and ignited a flash fire, which the four-man crew smothered with a fire extinguisher before fleeing. The men had been spraying a concentration of diesel fuel to lubricate the wooden forms in which they were to pour concrete. The basement was poorly ventilated, and the combination of the accumulated fumes and the spark of a Milkita drill proved explosive. 

Alta Bates spokesperson Caroline Kemp said all three of the men taken to the hospital are in good condition. Two of the men have already been released, while a third, who has burns on his neck, face, arms, and hands – roughly 25 percent of his body – should be released within one day. 

Residents of 2601-2605 Milvia Street experienced the shockwave as it rippled through the building. Three of the five units were empty. 

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"My wife and I were standing in the kitchen when we heard the explosion and got bounced," said first-floor resident Paul Fagre. "As we came outside, I saw four men scattering out. Their hair was singed and they were very upset – we were all very upset."  

Jesse Kelly, a 34 year-old second floor resident, was rudely awakened by the blast. "I was asleep on the couch, when suddenly the whole building compressed. I looked out and saw workers running out, covered in dust."  

A neighbor immediately called 911, and within minutes the Berkeley Fire Department sent a first alarm response team of three fire trucks and an ambulance to the scene. "We received report of an explosion at 2601 Milvia at about 10 a.m.," said assistant chief Craig Green. "We sent out a response team to evacuate all the dwellings, brought a hoseline in and ventilated the basement area," he said. "The explosion happened because the basement was not properly ventilated," he said. 

The firemen had to force their way into most of the units, to assure the fire hadn’t spread up through the walls. "We had to check all the units from the top down," said Green. "There’s no fire stops in the walls of most of these older buildings, and the flames will often travel up through the inside of the walls and hit the attic, so after we initially went through the basement, we had to go through all the units," he explained. 

A city building inspector was shortly on scene to examine the structural integrity of the building, which he determined to be safe. A team of P.G. & E. workers then went to work, shutting off gas and electricity to the building and removing the meters, which is standard procedure when the utility infrastructure is damaged. 

It is unclear when the residents will be allowed to return to their homes. The city inspector and P.G.&E. staff discovered several items that were not up to code and that must be repaired or corrected by the building owner before residents can return. Among them was asbestos siding discovered along the ground floor that had been torn loose by the explosion. "It was a relatively small amount, but we can’t leave it out there," said assistant chief David Orth. 

Oreth also cited damaged electrical wiring, improperly sized gas lines and improper water heaters as needing correction to bring the residence up to code. "The major reason they won’t let people back in the building is because the fire alarms won’t work without electricity," Orth said.  

The owner of the building, Mehdi Hosseimi, was not available for comment. Orth said that there is no indication that Hosseimi would be cited for any infraction. 

The Red Cross arrived at the scene by early afternoon to help residents who might need relocation.