33 years ago: A look back at the 1991 Oakland Hills firestorm

OAKLAND, Calif. (KRON) — Thirty-three years ago, on Oct. 19, 1991, a deadly firestorm tore through the Oakland Hills, killing 25 people and injuring 150. To this day, the cause of the fire remains unknown.

The fire began as a small blaze on private property and was quickly extinguished, according to East Bay Parks.

However, undetected smoldering embers were carried by the wind, reigniting the fire the next day. Within an hour, the fire had destroyed 800 buildings due to high winds and dry conditions, according to History.com.

Over 3,000 homes were lost, and 10,000 people had to evacuate, despite firefighters from across Northern California stepping in to help, according to East Bay Parks.

“I will never forget that morning when those winds came. It was frightening,” said KRON4’s Vicki Liviakis, whose family’s home was among those burned down. “I smelt the air. It felt like witchy winds, that’s the only way I can describe it. ‘Witchy winds,’ and I had a sense of foreboding, like something wasn’t right.”

Though the firestorm lasted less than 48 hours, it caused an estimated $1.5 billion in damages and remains one of the worst fires in Oakland’s history.

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