When the Orinda Battalion Chief (BC45) arrived at the Command
Post, he made face to face contact with the Incident Commander and
reported that the Contra Costa County units were working on the upper
east side of the fire. The IC assigned BC45 to direct the defense of the
Parkwood Apartments, but the rear half of the complex was fully involved
and companies were still trying to evacuate the last residents from the front
buildings. There were no more companies available to assign and nothing
could have stopped the fire as it swept through the complex, pushed by the
wind coming down the canyon.
The Command Post had to be relocated as the fire swept toward its
position on Highway 24. As the Command Post was moved to the freeway
interchange, a wall of flames was sweeping into the Hiller Highlands
development, unchallenged by fire forces. Police offtcers and firefighters
alerted occupants to evacuate moments before a wall of flames enveloped
the entire complex.
Next » Fire Jumps Freeway
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