At 1202 hours, Oakland Engine 2, which was responding to the main
fire, reported to the IC that it had discovered a vegetation fire in the
Temescal Recreation Area, west of the interchange of Highways 13 and 24.
This area is 2,000 feet beyond the face of the burning hills and 400 feet
lower in elevation. Flying brands were dropping into this area and within
minutes were beginning to ignite a line of trees that border the west side of
Lake Temescal. This area was in the direct path of the fire’s convective
thermal column, which dried and preheated the ignitable fuels.
An off-duty Oakland Battalion Chief, who had picked up a spare car
and was assigned as BC44 to cover the City, saw the fire west of Highway
13 and drove around to the residential area west of the lake. At 1212
hours, BC44 reported to the IC that he had multiple structures involved
along Contra Costa Lane, a long dead end street that borders the lake. He
reported that he was establishing a Command Post at the intersection of
Contra Costa and Buena Vista and initiating operations with Engine 2.
Engines 3 and 13 were assigned to stage at Broadway and Golden Gate to
assist BC44.
A size-up of the situation west of Lake Temescal was bleak. The
fire had jumped the only major physical barrier between the hills and the
rest of the City and was now moving into a heavily wooded residential
“flatland” area. Flying brands were raining down on the trees and rooftops.
The resources of the Oakland Fire Department were fully committed and only a few mutual aid companies had arrived on the west side of the fire.
More structures were becoming involved every minute.
Battalion 44 sized-up the situation and suggested calling San
Francisco for additional assistance to make a stand. At 1218 the IC asked
Oakland Communications to request two Strike Teams from San Francisco.
Two minutes later a structure fire was reported on Country Club Drive,
several blocks further west, in an area of large homes with a very limited
water supply.
The request for two strike teams was made directly from Oakland
Fire Communications to San Francisco Fire Communications at 1229
hours. Two strike teams were dispatched and en route to Oakland by
1240.
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