Was pandemonium': How the 1991 Tunnel Fire showed the devastating potential of urban wildfires

The 1991 Tunnel Fire became a defining example of how deadly “interface fires” can be—wildfires that race between natural areas and residential neighborhoods. Reporting from the perspective of former East Bay fire ranger Scott Hill, the article recalls the fire’s start on Oct. 19, 1991, as a small blaze on private property in the Oakland hills. Two days later, fast-moving embers driven by Diablo winds with 60 mph gusts spread from home to home, turning the sky black as evacuations began. Over five days, 2,843 homes and 437 apartment units were destroyed on fewer than 1,600 acres, with $1.5 billion in damage. CalFire later cited it as California’s most destructive wildfire for 26 years.