OAKLAND, Calif. (KRON) — Thirty years ago on October 19, a deadly firestorm ravaged through the Oakland Hills and killed 25 people.
The inferno injured 150 others.
It started as a small fire on a private property that was quickly extinguished, according to East Bay Parks. But barely detectable smolders blew in the wind, reigniting a blaze the next day. The high winds and dryness led the fire to burn 800 buildings within an hour, according to History.com.
Over 3,000 homes were lost to the firestorm, despite hundreds of firefighters coming in to assist from across Northern California, according to East Bay Parks. Ten thousand people were forced to evacuate.
Chimneys of homes destroyed in the Oakland Hills by fire are visible beyond the black, charred trunks of trees also consumed by the firestorm which swept through the area in Oakland, Ca., Oct. 22, 1991. (AP Photo/Olga Shalygin)
The 1991 firestorm lasted less than 48 hours, but the heavy loss is remembered to this day. It is estimated to have caused $1.5 billion in total damages, .
Community members honored the 30-year anniversary with a picnic at Lake Temescal on Sunday.