OAKLAND CALIFORNIA CONFLAGRATION - 1991
Sunday - October 20, 1991 - Oakland, California, United States of America - 25 dead, 150 injured, $1.5 Billion in damages, 1600 acres burnt, approximately 3,400 single family homes and 456 apartment units destroyed.
Abbreviations - E = engine or pumper / BR = brush unit / AS = at scene time / EBRP = East Bay Regional Parks / 2nd = second alarm / 3rd = third alarm / RTQ = return to quarters (station) / Chf = chief fire officer / St = street / Rd = road / Ave = Avenue / BC = Battalion Chief / Tr = aerial ladder truck / CDF = California Department of Forestry (the State level forest fire department) / Type 3 E = wildland fire pumper / Type 1 E = structural fire pumper / ST = strike team (5E) / OES = California State Office of Emergency Services (civil defence)
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Please consider two questions when you read this material - Were resources requested quickly enough? - Do rich people care if their house burns up?
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1000 - EBRP E + BR AS
1035 - Oakland FD receives phone call for hot spot at 7290 Marlboro Terrace
1040 - flareup
1040 - call for grass fire in Southern Oakland on Campus Drive - E21 E25 E27 sent
1041 - E24 left mop up site - E19 still AS - E16 already RTQ
1050 - EBRP 5675 request 1 more EBRP E Code 3 to mop up site for lots of rekindles
1052 - EBRP 5669 requests that Oakland send a helo to the mop up site
1058 - E19 request a box - E24 E28 BC2 sent - E4 also responds
1059 - E19 requests CDF
1102 - E19 request 2nd - units ordered to respond to 7140 Marlboro Terrace
1104 - 3rd ordered by Asst Chief
1105 - private helo requested
1105 - E24 hooks to hydrant - E6 E10 Tr1 Tr15 BC4 sent on 2nd alarm
1107 - recall of offduty fire command staff started
1115 - E1 at Parkland Apartments - E1 and L1 had responded from Station 1
1115 - Chief 3A arrives at the Dispatch Center - CDF air and private air units "had (been) requested"
1115 - 4th requested by Asst Chief
1118 - 4th sent
1119 - CDF Morgan Hill Dispatch Center sends Copter 106
1119 - Contra Costa County FD asks Oakland if they have a large fire - yes!
1119 - EBRP 5675 requests CDF helos
1120 - 5th + 6th alarms requested along with 5 mutual aid E - 6th units to report to Bayfoot Dr and Tunnel Rd - mutual aid E to report to Fish Ranch Rd and Grizzly Peak Rd
1124 - CDF sends 1 helo + 2 Type 3 E + 1 bulldozer + 1 BC
CDF AirTanker 92 dispatched from Fresno to a fire in Contra Costa County - ETA 1226hrs - CDF AirTanker 94 dispatched from Salinas to the same Contra Costa County fire - ETA 1223hrs
1126 CDF Copter 106 enroute
1126 5th + 6th sent - Alameda E + Alameda Naval Air Station E + Emeryville E + Lawrence Berkely Labs (US Dept of Energy) E + San Leandro E sent
1130 EBRP Police helo Eagle 5 AS
1132 Berkely Chief 6 (the on duty chief) checks the Berkely side of the fire - no resources requested
1133 request 5 Alameda County Strike Teams to Hiller St at Tunnel St (25E)
1133 California Highway Patrol relays a cellular phone call to the Contra County Fire Dispatch Center reporting a fire above the Caldicott Tunnell
1134 - BC2 request Contra Costa Co FD
1134 - 10E are requested from Contra Costa Co
1135 - Contra Costa Co dispatches first alarm response
1136 - Alameda Co advises Contra Costa Co of request for 1 ST
1137 - E1 L1 L3 AS Parkwood Apartments
1140 - 5 more ST requested
1141 - E16 sent to Parkwood Apts
1143 - Contra Costa County BC45 request a 2nd - PW45 + E44 + PW17 + E4 + WT1 sent
1153 - CDF Copter 106 AS
1155 - Oakland requests Alameda City FD
1200 - Contra Costa County will request a OES ST
1202 - E2 finds fire in the Temescal Recreation area
1202 - Contra Costa Fire requests Crane Helo Company
1203 - CDF BC 1616 AS Fish Branch Rd
1205 - CDF E AS Grizzly Peak
1207 - Berkely E3 sent to Vicente Rd
1209 - CDF E 1661 AS
1210 - Moraga TF AS
1212 - CoCosta BC44 has homes burning on Contra Costa Lane - E3 + L3 sent
1218 - 10E requested from San Francisco
1229 - San Francisco receives request for 10E
1240 - 10E from San Francisco enroute to Oakland
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