East Bay Hills Fire (Oakland-Berkely, CA - October 1991) » Berkeley Front

On the northwest flank of the fire, flames were spreading quickly toward the City of Berkeley. A portion of the City of Berkeley projects into the lower part of Grandview Canyon, although the major part of the city lies north of Highway 24 and west of the foothills. The City of Berkeley is heavily developed and the part that projects into Grandview Canyon contained closely built two-story dwellings, primarily along Vicente Road and Alvarado Road.

The Berkeley Police and Fire Communications Center received several calls from residents between 1100 and 1130 hours and advised the callers that the fire was in the City of Oakland. (Many of the area residents used Berkeley as a mailing address, although they were actually located within the City of Oakland.) Although no mutual aid request had been received, the Berkeley Fire Department had monitored part of the Oakland radio traffic and was aware of the fire.

Around 1130 hours, the Berkeley duty Battalion Chief drove to the Vicente Road area and made an assessment of the potential threat to Berkeley. At that time there was no indication of fire moving in that direction.

At 1207 hours, Berkeley received a call from a citizen on Vicente Road, reporting that fire was coming over the hilltop above that address; Berkeley Engine 3 was dispatched to check on that report. Engine 3 drove up Vicente Drive to the intersection of Grandview and Westview before the fire was spotted, coming over the ridge from the area of Norfolk Drive.

Berkeley Engine 3 called for a full 1st Alarm assignment at 1213 hours. Twelve minutes later the companies on Vicente Road were trying to protect structures as flying brands began raining down on them. Dozens of spot fires ignited ahead of the main fire front as it swept down into Grandview Canyon.

A Berkeley 2nd Alarm was called at 1231, followed by a 3rd Alarm at 1238. With all of Berkeley’s resources now responding, one engine company had to be diverted to handle a working structure fire in Berkeley. Mutual aid was requested from Albany, Emeryville, and Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, and off-duty personnel were recalled to place Berkeley’s reserve apparatus in service.

The Berkeley units had been driven out of Vicente Road and were setting up to make a stand with master streams in the area of Tunnel Road, Bridge Road, and Alvarado Road. Berkeley established a Command Post on Tunnel Road and designated the defensive line as Division A. Berkeley companies were also deployed to the Chabot Road area, a quarter mile beyond Tunnel Road where brands had already started an additional flare-up that was spreading from trees to structures. This area was designated as Division B by Berkeley Command.

Next » California Department of Forestry Operations