Fire History
Alameda County's fire history includes the catastrophic 1991 Oakland Hills Firestorm (Tunnel Fire), which killed 25 people and destroyed 3,354 homes in the Oakland and Berkeley hills. That fire fundamentally shaped California's wildfire policy and building codes. The 2020 SCU Lightning Complex burned extensively in the Diablo Range along the county's eastern boundary. The Oakland and Berkeley hills remain one of the most densely developed Very High FHSZ areas in the state.
Local Compliance Notes
Alameda County Fire Department and city fire departments share jurisdiction. The Oakland and Berkeley hills are among the highest-priority areas for Zone Zero compliance in the Bay Area given the 1991 fire history and continued dense WUI development. East Bay Regional Park District lands buffer many communities but adjacent private parcels remain at high risk. Contact your city or Alameda County Fire for Phase 2 timeline information.
Neighborhoods in Zone Zero
High-FHSZ communities in Alameda County include the Oakland Hills (Montclair, Piedmont Pines, Joaquin Miller), Berkeley Hills, Castro Valley hills, Hayward hills, Fremont foothills (Mission Hills), Pleasanton Ridge area, Sunol, and unincorporated communities in the Diablo Range.
Local FAQs
Are the Oakland and Berkeley hills subject to Zone Zero? Yes — the hills communities are in Very High FHSZ and Zone Zero requirements apply fully. The 1991 Tunnel Fire demonstrated exactly the kind of ember-driven ignition that Zone Zero is designed to prevent. These communities should treat Zone Zero compliance as a high priority.