1923 Berkeley Fire
Encyclopedia
The 1923 Berkeley Fire was a conflagration
which consumed some 640 structures, including 584 homes in the densely-built neighborhoods north of the campus of the University of California
in Berkeley, California
on September 17, 1923.
Although the exact cause was never determined, the fire began in the undeveloped chaparral
and grassland
s of Wildcat Canyon
, just east of the ridgeline of the Berkeley Hills
, and was propelled over the ridge and southwestward just south of Codornices Creek
by a strong, gusty, and intensely dry northeasterly wind
. The fire quickly blew up as it swept through the La Loma Park
and Northside
neighborhoods of Berkeley, overwhelming the capabilities of the Berkeley Fire Department to stop it. A number of UC students fought the advance of the fire as it approached the north edge of the University of California campus at Hearst Avenue. The other edge of the fire was fought by firefighters as it advanced on downtown Berkeley along the east side of Shattuck Avenue north of University Avenue. Firefighters were rushed in from neighboring Oakland
while San Francisco
sent firefighters by ferry
across the bay. The fire was halted when the gusty northeast wind was suddenly stopped by the cool, humid afternoon seabreeze.
As a result of this fire, the City of Berkeley established a fire station in the hills on Shasta Road just below Grizzly Peak Blvd. In the early 2000's, this station was replaced and relocated to a nearby site just above Grizzly Peak Blvd. on the interface between the residential area and Tilden Regional Park
, very close to the putative origin of the 1923 fire.
Conflagration
A conflagration or a blaze is an uncontrolled burning that threatens human life, health, or property. A conflagration can be accidentally begun, naturally caused , or intentionally created . Arson can be accomplished for the purpose of sabotage or diversion, and also can be the consequence of...
which consumed some 640 structures, including 584 homes in the densely-built neighborhoods north of the campus of the University of California
University of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
in Berkeley, California
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
on September 17, 1923.
Although the exact cause was never determined, the fire began in the undeveloped chaparral
Chaparral
Chaparral is a shrubland or heathland plant community found primarily in the U.S. state of California and in the northern portion of the Baja California peninsula, Mexico...
and grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
s of Wildcat Canyon
Wildcat Canyon
Wildcat Canyon is a narrow linear valley just east of the Berkeley Hills in the San Francisco Bay Area, situated in Contra Costa County, California. The canyon is bounded on its east side by the San Pablo Ridge, and is drained by Wildcat Creek which runs northwest to its outlet in San Pablo Bay. ...
, just east of the ridgeline of the Berkeley Hills
Berkeley Hills
The Berkeley Hills are a range of the Pacific Coast Ranges that overlook the northeast side of the valley that surrounds San Francisco Bay. They were previously called the "Contra Costa Range/Hills" , but with the establishment of Berkeley and the University of California, the current usage was...
, and was propelled over the ridge and southwestward just south of Codornices Creek
Codornices Creek
Codornices Creek , long, is one of the principal creeks which runs out of the Berkeley Hills in the East Bay area of the San Francisco Bay Area in California. In its upper stretch, it passes entirely within the city limits of Berkeley, and marks the city limit with the adjacent city of Albany in...
by a strong, gusty, and intensely dry northeasterly wind
Diablo wind
Diablo wind is a name that has been occasionally used for the hot, dry offshore wind from the northeast that typically occurs in the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California during the spring and fall. The same wind pattern also affects other parts of California's coastal ranges...
. The fire quickly blew up as it swept through the La Loma Park
La Loma Park
La Loma Park is the historic name, no longer in common use, of a tract of land located in the Berkeley Hills section of the city of Berkeley, California in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Spanish word loma means "rise/low hill". It was the property of Captain Richard Parks Thomas, a veteran of the ...
and Northside
Northside, Berkeley, California
Northside is a principally residential neighborhood in Berkeley, California, located north of the University of California, Berkeley campus, east of Oxford Street, and south of Cedar Street. There is a small shopping area located at Euclid and Hearst Avenues, at the northern entrance to the...
neighborhoods of Berkeley, overwhelming the capabilities of the Berkeley Fire Department to stop it. A number of UC students fought the advance of the fire as it approached the north edge of the University of California campus at Hearst Avenue. The other edge of the fire was fought by firefighters as it advanced on downtown Berkeley along the east side of Shattuck Avenue north of University Avenue. Firefighters were rushed in from neighboring Oakland
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
while San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
sent firefighters by ferry
Ferries of San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay in California has been served by ferries of all types for over 150 years. Although the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge led to the decline in the importance of most ferries, some are still in use today for both commuters and...
across the bay. The fire was halted when the gusty northeast wind was suddenly stopped by the cool, humid afternoon seabreeze.
As a result of this fire, the City of Berkeley established a fire station in the hills on Shasta Road just below Grizzly Peak Blvd. In the early 2000's, this station was replaced and relocated to a nearby site just above Grizzly Peak Blvd. on the interface between the residential area and Tilden Regional Park
Tilden Regional Park
Tilden Regional Park, also known as "Tilden" , is a regional park in the East Bay, part of the San Francisco Bay Area in California. It is situated between the Berkeley Hills and San Pablo Ridge....
, very close to the putative origin of the 1923 fire.