California fires are impacting practically the entire state. People have been killed , entire cities have been destroyed and many of us, especially in Northern California, are breathing in pretty poor quality air. Kids, the elderly and people with respiratory issues are encouraged to stay inside.  The power of Mother Nature is certainly surrounding us. Unfortunately this is something that west coasters experience almost every year and makes us remember one of the worst California wildfires in history: the Oakland Hills Firestorm of 1991.

On our Rockridge Neighborhood Heritage Food Tour , we take guests to a tile mural commemorating this tragic event. It sits under the Rockridge Bart and Highway 24 overpass so many people walk right past it. Many times we hear guests say, “I’ve lived here all my life and never knew that this was here.” It’s pretty remarkable. So because this is part of our tour and the wildfires are destroying so much in areas that are not so far away, I thought I would take you through the history of the 1991 Oakland Hills Firestorm and share with you how a community came together after tragedy to create this beautiful piece of public art that we now enjoy as well as how we can help those whose lives are being forever changed as we speak.

The 1991 Oakland Hills Firestorm continues to be the one of the most devastating urban wildfires to hit the United States. 25 people were killed and nearly 3,000 homes were destroyed. Experts from Cal Fire, which called it the Tunnel Fire , say that it was the perfect storm of conditions that allowed this fire to take hold.

Just like today, Northern California was at high risk of fire danger. A hot, and very dry summer caused dried out underbrush to develop due to long-term drought conditions. The eucalyptus trees, which give areas like Berkeley’s Tilden Park its lovely aromatic scent, turned into kindling. As one survivor recounted to the SF Chronicle , “I go with what the Australians say about eucalyptus — they call them ‘gasoline on a stick.” It was perfect red flag conditions.

On Saturday, October 19, 1991 firefighters were putting out minor brush fires along the Berkeley and Oakland Hills. They were reportedly under control. However, with some of the hot spots still smoldering, dry winds began to blow over the course of the night. They were on record to be at a speed of up to 65 mph.

By the next morning, the fire quickly exploded as winds increased. Due to the steep terrain and reported short staffing , firefighters had difficulty getting their equipment in place. The fire spread across the hills and quickly went out of control.

Within just two to three hours, the flames took up the north side of Temescal Canyon, engulfing the Parkwood Apartments complex and completely destroying the Hiller Highlands neighborhood.  This community of 1,800 town homes is located along the hills overlooking Highway 24 and the Caldecott Tunnel’s western entrance. As the fire raced toward them, residents tried to escape by driving down winding roads, but soon needed to abandon their cars and flee on foot. More than half of the total fatalities from the firestorm were people in automobiles that were burned up on the winding roads. They were trapped.

Through the course of its burn, the fire spread into the Rockridge area. It almost jumped Tunnel Road and came very close to the UC Berkeley campus and the historic Claremont Hotel. In fact, scorch marks can still be seen along the backside of the resort’s main building.

The Oakland Hills firestorm is currently the third deadliest California wildfire.

Photo Courtesy: SF Chronicle

In 1994, three years after the fire, community volunteers spearheaded an effort to pay tribute to the community and its ability to “overcome tragedy and loss.” A tile mural, resembling a quilt, was installed along College Avenue under the Rockridge BART and Highway 24 overpass. It was created using 2,300 tiles painted by school children, artists, survivors and Oakland city officials. Even then-US President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore wrote messages of support.

The tiles depict scenes from those tragic days including homes that were destroyed, pets lost in the fire, prayers to loved ones killed and messages of hope to all who survived.

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