As firefighters continue their efforts to fully contain the Keller Fire in the Oakland Hills, many residents evacuated from the area have begun returning home. As of the evening of October 19, some evacuees were allowed back, while those near Rifle Lane and Altura Place remain under evacuation orders due to ongoing threats from hot spots nearby.
Fire Chief Damon Covington provided an update to the San Francisco Chronicle on October 19, stating that about 70% of the fire has been contained as of the morning of the 20th. Covington expressed cautious optimism, noting that the fire’s intensity had significantly improved. However, he emphasized the need for firefighters to remain on site to monitor and extinguish any remaining hot spots, and he mentioned plans to remove eucalyptus trees that could pose additional threats to homes.
“We still have a lot of work ahead of us,” Covington said. “We don’t want to assume the fire is out and risk it reigniting.”
The fire began around 1 PM on October 18, fueled by strong winds that carried embers across Interstate 580 and into the Sequoyah Heights community, prompting hundreds to evacuate and leading to temporary road closures. By approximately 4 PM, firefighters managed to halt the blaze from spreading further, but not without damaging two homes and burning up to 13 acres of land. Over 200 firefighters have been actively battling the flames.
Evacuation notices remain in place for parts of the Sequoyah Heights, Caballo Hills, and Ridgemont communities, particularly north of Keller Avenue. While some evacuation orders for surrounding areas have been lifted, Covington remains vigilant, “While we hope everyone can return home, we don’t want to put anyone in jeopardy. Our community is still facing significant risks.”
The fire occurred under conditions of high wildfire danger, including strong winds, low humidity, and dry vegetation. Luckily, with the humidity increasing and winds calming down over the weekend, the situation showed signs of improvement. A red flag warning issued for much of the Bay Area and Central Coast expired by 5 PM on Saturday, and the National Weather Service indicated that offshore gusts had decreased below warning levels. However, forecasters predict that dry weather will continue into early next week.
On the morning of October 19, air quality in the area was rated as good, although residents across the hill in Moraga and Orinda reported smelling smoke from the inland winds. Berkeley officials lifted evacuation recommendations for the mountainous region that morning after previously advising residents to leave due to high fire hazards.
The Keller Fire has resonated with memories of the devastating October 1991 Oakland Hills fire, which resulted in 25 fatalities, 150 injuries, and over 3,000 homes destroyed. Covington noted the similarities, with both fires igniting near highways and spreading rapidly into nearby communities due to the abundance of highly flammable eucalyptus trees.
Nevertheless, Covington highlighted the improvements made in fire response since the 1991 incident. Firefighters had already been patrolling the hills before the outbreak, and as the fire escalated, teams from the Bay Area and across California quickly joined local responders.
“We established a strike team across the county to address the fire while it was still in its early stages, before it really started to spread,” Covington stated.
The epicenter of the fire was located approximately two miles north of the Oakland Zoo and southeast of Merritt College, but thankfully, neither location was significantly affected by the blaze.
