The fire started in the Redwood Road area and raced through to Sequoia Park (Joaquin Miller Park), down Dimond Canyon, and spread into Shepard Canyon.
The fire, which began around 7 am on November 13, 1933, swept through the East Oakland Hills, burning a man to death, injuring two others, and destroying at least a dozen homes. It was under control by 2 pm.
The municipal zoo in Sequoia Park (now Joaquin Miller Park) was surrounded by a ring of flames as the fire approached the animal cages. The zookeepers were preparing to shoot the animals, but the fire stopped just 100 yards from the cages.
‘The Abbey’ is Spared
The flames spread through the homestead of the late Joaquin Miller and destroyed the home of Miller’s late mother, which was occupied by his widow, who was 83. Many of her treasures were lost, but she escaped. The historic Abbey was saved!
Shift in Wind
At 9:20 a.m., the fire approached the Sequoia Riding Club at 2923 Mountain Blvd. The stable grooms led the frightened horses through the smoke to safety, and a shift in the wind saved the stables.
- Mrs. Abbie L. Miller, widow of Joaquin Miller, with her niece
- Carmela Ward and a couple of the 60 horses she rescued.
- Juanita Miller helping fight the fire
- Removing the body of Wm J. La Marr, who burned to death
- All that was left of one hillside home
- Schoolboys who went to class to fight the flames along Mountain Blvd
List of Homes
More Info:
- Fighting the East Oakland Fire – Oakland Tribune Nov 13, 1933
- When a Bush Fire Swept Over Oakland Hills – Oakland Tribune Nov 13, 1933
- Hill Forest Blaze Driven in Residence Area By High Wind. – Oakland Tribune Nov 13, 1933
- 200 Animals at City Zoo Crazed by Smoke – Oakland Tribune Nov 13, 1933
I somehow missed the original post in 2019, so thank you for this history recap. So glad the zoo animals were spared and those horses were rescued. And then 58 years later, another fire disaster in the Oakland Hills….all rebuilt and waiting to happen again because we never learn.