Oakland Junior Center of Art and Science suffers damage in Sunday fire

OAKLAND >> The Oakland Junior Center of Art and Science at Lakeside Park was heavily damaged in a fire Sunday night, officials said.

Authorities have not ruled out the possibility the fire may have been started by a homeless person. Several tents belonging to homeless people are in the area.

Damage from the fire to the interior and exterior of the center was estimated to be as high as $250,000 or more, officials said. The fire erupted at about 8:50 p.m. Sunday in a deck area of the building, which is at 558 Bellevue Ave., bringing about 30 firefighters to the scene.

The fire was declared under control by 9:12 p.m. Oakland Fire Department spokesman Michael Hunt said. There were no reports of injuries. Police also responded, blocking off traffic on Bellevue and along Perkins Street.

Windows at the center had been boarded up for some time and a center representative could not immediately be reached for comment if that was because of the pandemic.

It was not immediately clear how many activities the center was offering but its website said it was doing online programs and limited inperson offerings. It has been serving more than 30,000 children annually.

The center is a nonprofit organization that was founded in 1954. Its original home was at Mosswood Park and it has been at the Lakeside Park site since April 1992. It is next to the Lake Merritt bird sanctuary and not far from the Rotary Nature Center.

According to its website, its mission is “to cultivate curiosity and creative exploration through the arts and sciences.”