1991 Oakland-Berkeley firestorm

E343616

The 1991 Oakland-Berkeley firestorm was a devastating urban wildfire in the San Francisco Bay Area that killed 25 people, destroyed thousands of homes, and became one of the costliest and most destructive fires in California history.

All labels observed (3)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (57)

Predicate Object
instanceOf disaster
urban wildfire
wildfire
affectedArea Berkeley Hills
Claremont district of Berkeley
surface form: Claremont district of Oakland

Montclair neighborhood of Oakland
surface form: Montclair district of Oakland

Oakland Hills
Rockridge neighborhood of Oakland
aftermath long-term displacement of thousands of residents
major rebuilding of affected neighborhoods
alsoKnownAs 1991 Oakland-Berkeley firestorm
surface form: East Bay Hills fire

1991 Oakland-Berkeley firestorm
surface form: Oakland firestorm of 1991

Tunnel fire
areaBurned about 6.2 square kilometers
approximately 1,520 acres
category wildland-urban interface fire
cause rekindling of a grass fire from the previous day
contributingFactor abundant dry vegetation
closely spaced wood-frame houses
low humidity
steep terrain in the East Bay Hills
strong Diablo winds
country United States of America
surface form: United States
economicCost one of the costliest wildfires in U.S. history at the time
over 1.5 billion US dollars (1991) in direct damages
endDate 1991-10-23
fatalities 25
historicalSignificance one of the deadliest urban wildfires in modern U.S. history
one of the most destructive wildfires in California history
homesDestroyed over 2,800
injuries approximately 150
ledTo changes in California fire codes
changes in mutual aid and incident command procedures
improvements in emergency communications systems
revisions to building standards in wildland-urban interface areas
revisions to vegetation management policies in the East Bay Hills
locatedIn Alameda County
surface form: Alameda County, California

Berkeley
surface form: Berkeley, California

Oakland
surface form: Oakland, California

Piedmont, California
San Francisco Bay Area
memorials various plaques and markers in the Oakland and Berkeley hills
month October 1991
notableFor extreme fire behavior
high structural losses in an urban area
rapid fire spread
partOf history of wildfires in California
responseBy Berkeley Fire Department
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
surface form: California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE)

Oakland Fire Department
mutual aid fire agencies from across California
startDate 1991-10-20
state California, United States
surface form: California
structuresDestroyed over 3,000
timePeriod early 1990s
weatherCondition hot, dry conditions
strong, gusty northeast winds

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (3)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

The Fifth Book of Peace describesEvent 1991 Oakland-Berkeley firestorm
1991 Oakland-Berkeley firestorm alsoKnownAs 1991 Oakland-Berkeley firestorm
this entity surface form: Oakland firestorm of 1991
1991 Oakland-Berkeley firestorm alsoKnownAs 1991 Oakland-Berkeley firestorm
this entity surface form: East Bay Hills fire