Large areas were evacuated ahead of the fire. Fire officers
identified the areas, while the evacuations were conducted primarily by
Oakland and Berkeley police officers. The areas that were identified for
evacuation were large, because there was no assurance that the fire could
be stopped or that the wind would continue to push it in the same
direction.
Some of the residents refused to leave and prepared garden hoses
and buckets to protect their own homes; others placed garden sprinklers on
their rooftops before leaving. A command officer, who had been assigned
to a helicopter, described the reactions of residents who were advised to
evacuate over the helicopter’s public address speakers. While some hurried to leave the area, others displayed their determination to stay and
their contempt that the fire forces were not doing enough to protect their
properties. Police officers had to use their authority to evacuate some
residents and to keep others from returning to endangered areas.
The evacuation included more than 5,000 people from significant
portions of Oakland, Berkeley, and Piedmont, as well as part of the
UC-Berkeley campus. The cities’ emergency planning and support agencies
were activated to open shelters and provide food and other services. The
basic logistics of evacuating a large urban area are complicated and
required a large commitment of personnel, primarily from law enforcement
agencies.
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