Two residences and fifteen acres were burned, and firefighters in Northern California were called to the scene.
On Friday, a brush fire broke out in Oakland, California, causing the evacuation of houses on hillsides and the temporary closing of a key roadway due to the threat posed by strong winds that could spread the fire.
The Oakland Fire Department reported that the five-alarm fire, which they have termed the Keller fire, has destroyed two residences and scorched over 15 acres in an Oakland Hills neighborhood. It happened the day before the 33rd anniversary of the 1991 Tunnel fire, which occurred a few miles north of the present fire and claimed the lives of 25 people. The fire destroyed 3,000 dwellings.
Over two hours following the initial notification of the fire, authorities started to convey their assurance that they were managing the situation effectively. Officials from the Oakland Fire Department stated that the wind-driven fire had halted its forward motion and that no injuries had been reported.
Fire officials posted images of planes dousing the slope below with billowing smoke while a fire engine was using its hose to put out a house fire.
At a news conference, Oakland Fire Chief Damon Covington stated, “We might have a different report right now if air resources don’t get here as quickly as they did.”
Some of the most coveted residences in the East Bay may be found here, especially those close to the summit of the Oakland Hills, which offer views of the cityscapes and the San Francisco Bay. However, longstanding locals also recall the 1991 fire as a grave threat, particularly in light of the fact that climate change has brought forth some of the most destructive wildfires in California history.
Concerned about what the locals could lose, 45-year-old Arthur Shanks was staring at the hills from a parking lot close to the Oakland fire while firefighting aircraft circled overhead. The prospect of more fires hovered over his thoughts.
“You’re always concerned about something that could get out of control,” he remarked. “That fire from 1991 just kept bouncing around.” Something like that might potentially ignite a fire.
When the call was received at approximately 1:30 p.m. on Friday, authorities ordered the evacuation of hundreds of homes and at least 80 firefighters were sent to the area.
Less than half a mile west of the fire, officials briefly stopped traffic on Interstate 580 due to the fire.
This week, the National Weather Service issued red flag warnings for a large portion of the Bay Area due to a confluence of factors that increased the likelihood of fires. Fire officials were on high alert throughout the region due to strong gusts of wind, low humidity, and dry fuel.
A man who was asleep inside was able to escape after hearing an explosion that broke a window, according to the chief, as the fire broke out right outside a house.
Investigations into the cause were ongoing. “Something as small as a cigarette” may start a fire in high-risk situations like the ones on Friday, according to Mr. Covington.
It was about 1:30 p.m. when Travis Bristol and his wife, Tolani Britton, saw smoke flowing through the trees and a raging flame while returning from Costco to their Oakland Hills home. They didn’t believe their house was in danger since it appeared so far away.
But soon after, they received an order to leave their area from helicopters hovering overhead.
Mr. Bristol, 42, an associate professor of education at the University of California, Berkeley, said, “I was absolutely terrified, and I think I’m still shaken.” He and his wife expressed gratitude that their two children were attending schools outside of the area.
Beginning Thursday night, Pacific Gas & Electric, the utility provider, started to proactively turn off electricity to a portion of its customers as the windy conditions worsened. Poweroutage.us, a website that records utility statistics, reports that more than 35,000 customers in the state were without power on Friday afternoon.
In the East Bay, strong winds were predicted to last until at least 11 p.m. on Friday, and in other parts of Northern California, until early Saturday morning. Through the evening, winds coming from the offshore might reach up to 35 mph, which could make it harder for firefighters to put out the fire.
Additionally, through Saturday, the National Weather Service issued a warning that “critical fire conditions” might develop in Southern California, with wind gusts of up to 50 mph predicted in the San Bernardino and San Gabriel mountain ranges.
In California, October has become increasingly hazardous as heat waves extend further into the fall and as the months after the last significant rainfall become increasingly arid.
