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News

As Sequoia rubble removed, plans made for new structure

January 4, 2012 12:45 pm by Tracey Taylor
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Two businesses on the site of the demolished Sequoia Building at Haste and Telegraph may re-open, and plans are under way to build a new structure on the site. City officials are hosting a meeting today to discuss the future of the site with its owners, who are known to have retained an architect for a potential new project there.

Crews have been working since last week on removing the many tons of debris and rubble that were left on the site of the Sequoia Building at 2441 Haste Street following its demolition in December prompted by a devastating fire on November 18th last year.

An investigation into the potential toxicity of the building’s debris revealed evidence of lead, but not of asbestos as had been rumored (see update at foot of story with more details). The removal of the rubble is expected to continue into next week. … Continue reading »

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Reminder: Share your Firestorm memories at BAM

November 11, 2011 4:50 pm by Tracey Taylor
Misrach swimming pool

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As part of a series of public events supporting its current exhibition by Berkeley photographer Richard Misrach, the Berkeley Art Museum is inviting the local community to gather at the museum this Sunday afternoon to share memories of the 1991 Oakland-Berkeley Firestorm.

At the BAM/PFA “Tell Your Stories: Open Mic in the Galleries” event, the museum is turning the microphone over to the community. People will be encouraged to talk about their memories amid Misrach’s compelling photographs, taken 20 years ago during the week following the Firestorm and unveiled for the first time in this exhibition. … Continue reading »

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Home for sale: Understatement not included

November 4, 2011 12:00 pm by Tracey Taylor
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It’s going to take someone with a certain je ne sais quoi to buy the newly listed home at 1985 Tunnel Road ($998,000). Someone who says “‘pah’! to minimalism, enough with discreet style, who cares about low-key elegance and understatement? I want to live large.”

This home has a circular master bed, no less, gold leaf galore and two enormous, trumpet-like towers jutting over its roofline. It’s not a house to go unnoticed.

The three-bedroom, three-bathroom house was built in 1996, rising from the ashes of the Oakland-Berkeley Firestorm — one of thousands of new-builds which came in all shapes and, mostly big, sizes. … Continue reading »

News

Best of Berkeleyside: This week’s most popular posts

October 22, 2011 7:00 am by Tracey Taylor

Johnny Depp (above) and Tom Waits storm through Berkeley The Facebook “Likes” counter on this story ground to a halt when it hit 1,000, proving that even in Berkeley we are not immune to the fun of a little celebrity watching.

Quakes, and then more quakes A total of four earthquakes rattled Berkeley on Thursday, two of them relatively big ones. Thankfully, there were no reports of injuries or damage, but they served as a timely reminder that nature has the upper hand, and that preparation is key.

Andronico’s to shutter University Avenue store After our report that the Berkeley-founded grocery chain was to be bought out of bankruptcy, it was perhaps not surprising that consolidation would follow. However, readers expressed concern about the fate of the store’s employees.

How can downtown Berkeley be improved? Berkeleyside readers have no shortage of opinions on how the heart of our city could be made more inviting. There is still time to have your say by completing the Downtown Berkeley Association survey.

Firestorm Special We ended the week with the last in our series of articles to mark the 20th anniversary of the 1991 Oakland-Berkeley firestorm. We published a total of 11 stories, including an interview with Berkeley Fire Chief Debra Pryor, the story of how the fire inspired the creation of The Sims, and tips on emergency preparedness. But most of our coverage was in the form of contributions from Berkeleyside readers. See the full series here.

We hear many different reasons why people read Berkeleyside: to keep up with the news, to marvel at the work of the extraordinary photographers who contribute to the site, to enter the fray of the comments. If you value Berkeleyside, please donate or subscribe. Your support will help us continue to improve our coverage of Berkeley. 

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Get prepared for an emergency: Here’s how

October 21, 2011 7:00 am by Tracey Taylor
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Twenty years after the Oakland-Berkeley fire ripped through the East Bay hills, killing 25 people and destroying close to 4,000 houses and apartments, houses have been rebuilt, trees and shrubs have grown back, and life has seemingly returned to normal.

But the threat of fire — as well as earthquakes, as was witnessed yesterday — remains constant.

The city of Berkeley has taken many steps since the catastrophe to help prevent, or deal with, another one. Some of those include vegetation abatement, changes to building codes, firefighter training and equipment. Read the full list of measures compiled by Berkeley. ”Much of this would not have been possible without resident and voter support, and these investments are a real testament to our community,” says City of Berkeley spokesperson Mary Kay Clunies-Ross.

To remind people of the likelihood of future disasters and to show them how to prepare and survive, local cities and officials are planning a day of workshops and fairs in the East Bay this weekend:

  • Saturday, 9am: The cities of Berkeley and Oakland will hold a firestorm remembrance starting with a 9 am reflection at the Rockridge BART station Firestorm Tile Wall.
  • Saturday, 10:30am: At 10:30 am, there will be a formal Commemorative Ceremony of Remembrance at the Gateway Emergency Preparedness Exhibit Center at Tunnel Road and Caldecott Way. Mayor Tom Bates and Fire Chief Debra Pryor will speak. … Continue reading »
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A fire more destructive to Berkeley than 1991 Firestorm

October 20, 2011 4:00 pm by Tracey Taylor

On the day we remember a catastrophic fire that affected many people’s lives locally, it may also pay to recall another fire which happened 68 years before the 1991 Oakland-Berkeley Firestorm and which was far more destructive to Berkeley.

The 1991 fire razed 63 Berkeley homes out of a total of more than 3,300. On September 17, 1923, however, a raging fire consumed some 640 structures, including 584 homes in the densely built neighborhoods north of the campus. Although the exact cause was never determined, the fire began in the undeveloped chaparral and grasslands of Wildcat Canyon, and was pushed towards the south west by a strong, gusty, and intensely dry northeasterly wind.

The Berkeley Fire Department, aided by a number of UC Berkeley students, was unable to stop the fire as it approached the north edge of the campus at Hearst Avenue. … Continue reading »

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Loss assessment: Building anew after devastation

October 20, 2011 7:00 am by Guest contributor
Photo: Allen Geller

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By Kurt Lavenson

Let everything happen to you: beauty and terror.
Just keep going. No feeling is final.
Rainer Maria Rilke

The fire missed me that day. I was alone in my fiancée’s kitchen, up near the ridge line of the hills, drinking coffee and reading the Sunday paper. The heat and winds were unusual. Pine needles blew from the trees and whipped sideways past the windows. I noticed smoke in the distance, in a corner of the view to the north, comfortably far away and just mildly interesting.

But it didn’t stay that way for long. Soon I was packing family photos and boxes of files into my truck for an evacuation. When we returned hesitantly the next day, the house and neighborhood were fine. The winds had stopped before pushing the fire into our canyon — and that was all it took to separate us from the others. A mile or so north, there were 1,500 acres of blackened devastation. … Continue reading »

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Twenty years after a catastrophe, recollections — Part 3

October 19, 2011 11:00 am by Tracey Taylor
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Berkeleyside invited readers to submit their stories about the 1991 Oakland-Berkeley Firestorm. Here we publish the third of three selections.

[A slideshow that was published earlier today in this story has been temporarily removed as we try to deal with some technical hitches. Apologies to our readers for any inconvenience.]

  …………………………..

By Peter Jenny: In 1991, I was living on 45th street in North Oakland, between Broadway and Telegraph. My neighbor and I were going to have a yard sale October 20th, and I went out early to put up signs. I remember the weather being oddly very hot for 7 a.m. in the morning. … Continue reading »

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Twenty years after a catastrophe, recollections — Part 2

October 18, 2011 1:00 pm by Tracey Taylor
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Berkeleyside invited readers to submit their stories about the 1991 Oakland-Berkeley Firestorm. Here we publish the second part of three selections.

By Lori: Heading back to Berkeley from Walnut Creek, the smoke was already visible over the Caldecott Tunnel. I usually take Fish Ranch Road back to North Berkeley, but that day, I went through the tunnel. Although I saw no flames, the smoke was covering the sky. Back at home, I watched the smoke plume head west from the … Continue reading »

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Inspired to make The Sims after losing a home

October 17, 2011 11:55 am by Tracey Taylor
Will Wright

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Will Wright’s home was one of the first to burn in the Oakland-Berkeley Firestorm. His quick thinking in fleeing without delay probably saved his life, and that of his first wife and immediate neighbors whom he took with him. The experience also had another consequence: it inspired him to create what became the best-selling personal computer game in history.

Wright, one of the world’s leading video game designers, sprang to prominence when his company, Maxis, launched Sim City in 1989. Maxis was sold to Electronic Arts in 1997. Wright’s new company, Stupid Fun Club, was formed two years ago and is based in West Berkeley.

The process of assessing his losses and material needs after his home burned down set Wright to thinking about the value of possessions and the promise they hold of fulfillment. Having always been passionate about architecture, he began to develop an idea for a game where players would simulate daily activities in a suburban household, including building a home from scratch: The Sims was born.

Wright’s home was on a ridge on Norfolk Road, very close to the site of the incompletely extinguished grass fire that is believed to have sparked the catastrophic fire that swept through the hills on October 20.

Wright remembers waking up that morning and smelling smoke. … Continue reading »

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News

Best of Berkeleyside: This week’s most popular posts

October 15, 2011 12:36 pm by Lance Knobel

The Fountain at The Circle, gleaming after 100 years. Photo: Nancy Rubin

Berkeley’s own version of the Occupy Wall Street protest kicked off last Saturday with a 200-strong demonstration and a small encampment of protestors. The OWS movement also had a Berkeley connection with the New Yorker cover by Eric Drooker.
There was also important local business news, with the completed rescue of both Andronico’s and A. G. Ferrari from bankruptcy. Renwood Opportunities Fund has shored up both retailers, and commenters report that stocks in the stores have already improved.
The centennial of The Fountain at The Circle (photo above) is being celebrated tomorrow at the fountain from 2 to 4 p.m.
A dramatic accident on Euclid Avenue fortunately resulted in only minor injuries. A 10-year old boy was getting his hair cut and was just missed by the Chevy plowing into the salon.
Berkeley Unified School District Superintendent Bill Huyett apologized to the Berkeley High football team on Wednesday evening. The team’s equipment and weight room were closed when Huyett ordered the immediate closure of the Old Gym. The disruption doesn’t seem to have put the team off its stride: it thumped De Anza 49-0 on Thursday night (that makes a combined score of 137-14 in the last three games for the Yellowjackets).

Throughout this week, Berkeleyside has been publishing stories recalling the Oakland Berkeley Firestorm of 1991. Find all the stories here.

We hear many different reasons why people read Berkeleyside: to keep up with the news, to marvel at the work of the extraordinary photographers who contribute to the site, to enter the fray of the comments. If you value Berkeleyside, please donate or subscribe. Your support will help us continue to improve our coverage of Berkeley. 

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Fire Chief Debra Pryor: It’s important not to forget

October 14, 2011 1:30 pm by Lance Knobel
Chief Debra Pryor: "There were a lot of lessons learned"

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In October 1991, Debra Pryor was a newly promoted Lieutenant in the Berkeley Fire Department. She spent the morning of October 20 in the South Bay with her mother, but when she returned to Berkeley, she picked up an assignment to relieve a fire crew in Roble Road that had been struggling with the firestorm.

“There was still a lot of chaos,” she recalls. “There was an awful lot of fire. There was an awful lot of damage. Lives had been lost. It was unsettling.

“My grandmother used to clean a house on Roble Court. That house wasn’t damaged. But coming on a street that the day before had been ordinary — you could see the chimneys. It looked like tombstones where the houses had been.” … Continue reading »

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With elegy book, community becomes part of exhibition

October 13, 2011 1:30 pm by Tracey Taylor
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Speaking about his new exhibition of photographs which opened simultaneously at the Berkeley Art Museum and the Oakland Museum of California this week, Richard Misrach says it is as much a community event as an art show.

The haunting images, taken 20 years ago in the wake of the 1991 Oakland-Berkeley Firestorm, document the aftermath of a disaster that touched everyone who lived or worked locally. And, now, because the photographs have never been shown before, people who lost homes — or perhaps even family members — are seeing these large scale, beautifully composed images for the first time. The impact is bound to be strong and responses are likely to be emotional.

Misrach knew he wanted to create a way for community members to articulate their reaction to the photographs and contribute to the exhibition directly. So he decided to create two handcrafted elegy books, one for each museum. Exhibition goers are encouraged to write in the books — or include photos or drawings — and the tomes will become part of the museums’ exhibition archives.

The design of the books fell to Brian Scott of San Francisco’s Boon Design, who worked with Misrach 20 years ago on his book, Bravo 20, and Berkeley bookbinder John DeMerritt. Scott and DeMerritt share a love of ledgers — the type that banks or courthouses would use in the past, or that hotels still sometimes have on display as guest books. … Continue reading »

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