September 17th, approximately 20 firefighters responded to a fire at the Rotary Nature Center on Bellevue Ave along Lake Merritt.
Fire crews successfully contained the fire to between 10-15% of the rear exterior wall closest to the lake and the adjoining roof area. Thankfully, the interior of the facility was largely spared from impact, aside from some minor smoke and water damage.
The fire was placed under control at 7:45 PM. There were no reports of any injuries and the Rotary Nature Center was not housing any animals -- no animals were trapped in the fire. While there are verified reports of homelessness activity in the immediate area of the fire’s origin, the exact cause of this fire is still under investigation.
Programs are temporarily suspended. Please check back for updates.
The exterior restrooms at the Rotary Nature Center are currently closed until further notice.
The Duck Ponds at Lakeside Park are currently offline due to structural issues. Rotary Nature Center and City of Oakland staff are working towards a solution to this problem.
Community for Lake Merritt is the official fiscal sponsor of the Rotary Center and Wildlife Refuge. To learn more about Community for Lake Merritt visit their website. If you would like to support the Rotary Nature Center with a donation, please give at the link below. The donation will go through Oakland Parks and Recreation Foundation.
Constructed in 1953, our interpretive museum houses educational displays, interpretive exhibits and a working observation beehive and our outdoor destinations include freshwater viewing ponds, five habitat islands, a geodesic dome for injured birds and the Lake Merritt Wildlife Refuge. We also care for a variety of live presentation animals that we use in our educational interpretive programs.