Wind-whipped fire in Oakland Hills burns several homes
A wind-driven fire burned several homes Tuesday morning in the Oakland Hills, authorities said.
The Oakland Police Department said the fire broke out on the 6800 block of Snake Road in the Montclair district. Homes were evacuated as firefighters battled the fire, which was burning through dry brush.
Witnesses and neighbors said on social media that firefighters got the blaze under control but that several homes were either destroyed or damaged.
Fire officials at the scene said wind helped spread the fire.
“Embers definitely played a factor in this fire,” Oakland Fire Chief Darin White told KPIX-TV. “Based on wind conditions, arriving firefighters elevated the fire to a third alarm.”
Oakland Hills was the scene of one of California’s deadliest fires.
On Oct. 20, 1991, fire swept through the area, killing 25 and destroying 2,843 homes, and causing an estimated $1.5 billion in damage.
The blaze comes amid a firestorm over the last week in Southern California that has destroyed more than 700 structures.
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