A troubling video sent by an unidentified viewer depicts a man setting himself ablaze outside the University of California campus.
As he walked around completely consumed by flames, students watched in horror and attempted to provide assistance.
According to officials from both the police and fire departments, a male in his early twenties lit himself on fire at approximately 4:17 p.m. on Wednesday on Sproul Plaza.
The man suffered severe second- and third-degree burns on a significant portion of his body and was subsequently transported to Oakland’s Highland Hospital trauma center by the Berkeley Fire Department.
A woman who attempted to extinguish the flames was treated for minor burns at a different medical facility, while a bystander who offered assistance to the man was also treated for burns but was released at the scene.
The University of California Police Department is presently investigating the event, with Berkeley’s police and fire departments and Berkeley Mental Health having responded to the scene.
According to a UC Berkeley WarnMe, the identity and condition of the individual remains unknown at this moment. It is uncertain whether or not the individual has any association with the university.
Tony Delacruz, an employee at the UC Student Store situated at Bancroft Way and Telegraph Avenue, recounted hearing shouts and chaos emanating from Sproul Plaza as he returned from his break at approximately 4 p.m.
Upon rushing outside, Delacruz observed a man who was “fully engulfed in flames.” Despite the severity of his burns, the man appeared to be apathetic towards the flames and was shouting in the direction of the surrounding bystanders. Delacruz promptly ventured back into the store to retrieve a fire extinguisher, but by the time he returned, Enrique Rojas, manager of Sandwich a Go-Go, located across Bancroft Avenue, was already attempting to quell the flames.
