City of Oakland California

Twenty years ago, Oakland faced what was then the worst urban fire disaster in the nation’s history. On October 20, 1991, at 11 am Diablo winds gusting at 65 mph fanned a wildfire that started from an incompletely extinguished grass fire in the Berkeley Hills from the day before and swept through 1600 acres in the Oakland/Berkeley Hills, killing 25 people, injuring 150 people and destroying more than 3000 homes at an estimated economic loss of $1.5 billion. At the fire’s peak, it destroyed one home every 11 seconds. The winds raged for 6 hours and finally died down by 5 pm, but full containment of the fire was not achieved until October 22. As many as 400 engine companies, 1500 personnel and 250 agencies worked to put out the fire

Like a phoenix rising from the fire, residents not only rebuilt but also launched a movement to support disaster survivors through the insurance claim and recovery process that now, as United Policyholders, (www.Uphelp.org/) is a national model. Oakland and Berkeley and surrounding communities formed the Hills Emergency Forum (www.hillsemergencyforum.org/) and strengthened their mutual aid, disaster management and standards for fighting urban wildfires. Oakland established a Wildfire Prevention Assessment District (www.oaklandnet.com/wildfireprevention/) that supports vegetation management and education about living safely in the Oakland hills, which have not faced a major fire in the 20 years since. But the risk of wildfire is ever present, due to the unique topography, weather and vegetation of the Oakland hills.