Wednesday was the 30th anniversary of the devastating Caldecott Tunnel Fire which ravaged the Oakland Hills.
Listen to the latest episode of "Bay Current" below.
KCBS Radio’s Kris Ankarlo reported on how the deadly blaze, which destroyed countless homes and killed 25 people on October 19, 1991, is remembered.
"It was a slow burn that destroyed the grass in the Oakland Hills Fire," Ankarlo told "Bay Current" on Thursday. "It was an alignment that unleashed one of the most destructive fires in California history."
The inferno first started as a small grass fire that was originally put out. However, an ember remained active, which led into a rush of oxygen that ignited another flame.
That flare climbed a low-hanging branch or shrub and erupted to destroy 1600 acres of the East Bay Hills, Ankarlo added.
California firefighting has changed in the last 30 years because of the lessons learned in the Tunnel Fire.
Berkeley Assistant Fire Chief Keith May said that making sure that fires are completely extinguished was one of the biggest lessons learned in firefighting history.
"Because of 1991 we have a lot more agencies making sure that that the fire is out," May said.
Almost 3,500 homes and apartments were destroyed and nearly $4 billion were lost in present-day dollars due to the fire.
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