A history of Diablo Wind wildfires
on October 20, 2011
While the Oakland Tunnel Fire of 1991 was, by many measures, the most devastating wildfire in the history of the East Bay Hills, it wasn’t the first. Every 10-20 years, a combination of dry winds, droughts and exceptionally flammable foliage spur small wildfires into rapidly spreading, nearly uncontrollable conflagrations that typically destroy thousands of acres, several homes and even human lives. Explore the timeline above to learn more about some of the worst wildfires in East Bay history, as well as how a particularly dangerous weather condition called a “Diablo Wind” contributed to each disaster.
[This multimedia report is no longer available.]
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