East Bay Hills Fire (Oakland-Berkely, CA - October 1991) » Monday Through Thursday

During Sunday night, a helicopter with infrared monitoring equipment was used to survey the fire area, and the data was transferred to a geographic data base map. This information was used to plan the deployment of resources for Monday morning and to identify the most vulnerable areas if the strong winds returned. There were still dozens of structure fires burning in different parts of the fire area and flames were evident in some wooded areas. Thousands of smoking ruins marked the locations of obliterated homes. As long as these fires persisted, the fire continued to be a threat. The first objective was to contain the fires within a safe perimeter, then to extinguish all the remaining flames.

Daylight offered the first opportunity to survey the fire area from the air under reasonably calm conditions, although the atmosphere was still heavily laden with smoke. Fortunately, the wind did not return on Monday morning, and weather conditions were favorable for developing a secure perimeter and eliminating potential sources for rekindles. Water supply was restored to some areas when East Bay Municipal Utilities District personnel brought in emergency generators and transportable pumps. Public works and utility crews had to clear the streets with heavy equipment to provide access to several areas.

The fresh strike teams were deployed and most of the units that responded during the first six hours were released. This restored normal protection to most of the communities in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. Units from all over California took part in the continuing operations at East Bay Hills.

Attempts were made to locate bodies and account for missing persons in the burned area, and damage assessment and preliminary investigative efforts were initiated. More than 100 people were initially reported as missing, mostly by friends and relatives who were unable to make contact with people who lived in the fire area. Many families were separated during the evacuation and were unsure if everyone had reached safety. Lists were compiled and search efforts were directed to the areas where missing persons were last seen.

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