Oakland Hills Fire Horrors Remembered 25 Years Later

OAKLAND (CBS SF) – It's been 25 years since a massive firestorm erupted in the Oakland Hills, killing 25 people and destroying 2,843 homes, 437 apartments and condos.

For those who lived through it, the images of Broadway Terrace homes ablaze and the frantic exodus from Hiller Highlands remain fresh in their minds.

The personal toll is what came to Karen Howell Wright's mind when she responded to a post on the KPIX 5 Facebook page.

"I remember this...a family friend lost her house on Broadway Terrace...so sad to see," she wrote.

Ash from the massive blaze fell on many local communities including across the Bay in San Francisco.

"I was a student at SFAI and living in Potrero Hill, SF at the time," wrote John Calhoun. "When I walked outside it looked like it was snowing. The street and my car were covered with ashes. I drove to school and found out that my class was canceled. My teacher lost his home in the fire."

James Antonio was returning from a family trip to his grandfather's when the sky suddenly turned red.

"Coming home with my family from visiting our grandpa in Fresno, got over the Altamont Pass and the sky was glowing, dad turned the news on the radio and heard the Hills were on fire," he wrote.

Mark Christopher April was on his way to Oakland International Airport and found his route to the Caldecott Tunnel blocked. The fire jump the Highway 24 near the Caldecott.

"I was on my way to Oakland and was turned around at the Caldecott Tunnel,' he wrote. "Had to go through Redwood Canyon to get to the airport. The sky darkened and we flew right through the clouds of smoke."

Maya Cooper was in her home in San Francisco's Noe Valley neighborhood and was stunned by the images on TV.

"I was sitting at home Noe Valley see the whole thing go up in smoke...devastating night!" she wrote.