Posts Tagged ‘fire’
Oaklanders get ready to face PG&E power cuts
On Wednesday afternoon, Oakland residents prepared for the power to go out, anticipating cuts that were initially expected to begin in Alameda County at noon. Parts of the Oakland hills and East Oakland are the most likely to be affected by the outages, which Pacific Gas and Electric estimates will affect 32,680 county residents. PG&E…
Read MoreOakland to be hit by PG&E power cuts: Useful links for Oaklanders
Oakland is expected to be among the Bay Area cities affected by PG&E power cuts starting today. According to a release sent out by the mayor’s office, the cuts will begin in some parts of Oakland at noon on Wednesday. The cuts are part of the power company’s effort to avoid sparking fires caused by…
Read MoreFire sweeps The Village homeless camp for the second time this fall
A fire tore through The Village on Friday, destroying tents belonging to 15 people and causing further concerns about the safety of homeless encampments.
Read MoreInvestigators suspect arson in latest Oakland construction site fire
Investigators are working to determine the cause of the most recent fire at a housing development construction site in Oakland.
Read MoreFire destroys part of The Village encampment, as protesters call for safer conditions for the homeless
As the city and local volunteers rush to assist those displaced by an early morning fire at the East Oakland homeless encampment, questions and concerns about safe living spaces still remain.
Read MoreWine country wildfires create hazardous air conditions for Bay Area residents
Wildfires raging throughout California’s wine country have ravaged more than 170,000 acres and killed 21 people so far, with hundreds missing. The blazes are sending a cloud of ash and smoke over the bay, threatening residents with polluted air. On Tuesday, air quality officials issued health and smoke advisories for all nine Bay Area counties,…
Read MoreGrass fire prompts evacuations in Oakland hills
A four alarm fire spread through the Oakland hills Tuesday. Oakland Police Department officers evacuated an estimated 100 homes in the Monte Vista Villas housing development.
Read MoreSan Pablo Avenue fire victims struggle to get help
The residential building at 2551 San Pablo Avenue caught fire in the early-morning hours of March 27, killing four people and displacing more than 100. That day Strauss started a crowdfunding page to collect donations for displaced residents. It wasn’t the first time he’d done this—as a founding member of the Oakland Warehouse Coalition, Jonah Strauss had collected donations for survivors of the Ghost Ship fire and their next of kin.
Read MoreOakland Ghost Ship fire casualties rise to 36, 11 people identified
Officials raised the death toll in the Ghost Ship fire to 36 Monday morning, while warning that more victims are expected to be found as the grim search continues. During a 6 a.m. press conference, Alameda County deputy sheriff Tya Modeste said 11 victims had been positively identified so far, and their families notified. About…
Read MoreEast Bay property owners rent goats for fire prevention
California is very, very dry these days. And with fire season around the corner, some property owners in the East Bay are turning to an unusual fire prevention technique: goats. Thousands of rented goats roam the hills about Berkeley and Oakland, working through the days and nights to prevent the spread of wildfires. Rachel Hiles has their story; click…
Read MoreBlaze in Rockridge rental property extinguished, no one injured
A fire broke out in a cottage on a property in the Rockridge neighborhood of Oakland, Nov. 2, 2014.
Read MoreAfter Oakland hills fire, residents build off-the-wall homes
On October 20, 1991, the hills above North Oakland and South Berkeley were prey to a three-day urban fire that destroyed over 3,500 homes and instigated a building revolution that permanently transformed the neighborhood for decades to come. Before the fire, the hillside was littered with small, older homes, some dating as far back as the 1920s and 1930s. But after the fire, the Oakland hills neighborhoods drastically transformed into a community of clashing architectural styles, innovative designs, and large, looming structures.
Read MoreA shepherd prevents wildfires in the Oakland hills
Francisco Ballesteros is a modern-day shepherd, but the sheep and goats he’s tending aren’t being raised for meat or milk—they’re here to prevent the spread of fire.
Read MoreStill shaken by 1991 firestorm’s fury, a fire captain returns
17 years after the Oakland firestorm, one of the first firefighters on the ground comes back to remember. Click here for photos and his audio interview with reporter Linnea Edmeier, herself a veteran fire fighter.
Read MoreRed flag warning lifted, but hills still in danger
By ISABEL ESTERMAN OCT. 14 — The red flag fire warning for the Oakland hills was lifted this morning, but officials urge residents to remain vigilant. The area is no longer being whipped by the 35 mph gusts that raised concerns over the weekend, but conditions in the drought-stricken hills are reminiscent of the weeks before…
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