Berkeley Hills Wildfire Risk: Know Your Hillside Hazards

Berkeley Hills has burned catastrophically twice in a century—in 1923 and again in 1991. The same Diablo winds, eucalyptus forests, and steep terrain that fueled those disasters remain. Proactive assessment is essential for every hillside homeowner.

Berkeley Hills rises steeply from the UC Berkeley campus and the Gourmet Ghetto up through neighborhoods like Panoramic Hill, Claremont, the Northside hills, and Tilden Park's western edge. These hillside communities offer some of the Bay Area's most coveted views—and some of its highest wildfire risk. CAL FIRE classifies nearly all of the Berkeley Hills as a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone.

The area has experienced two major urban wildfires. In September 1923, a brush fire ignited in Wildcat Canyon and burned through north Berkeley, destroying 584 structures and leaving thousands homeless. Nearly seven decades later, on October 20, 1991, the Oakland Hills Firestorm crossed the Berkeley border, burning homes along the Claremont Canyon corridor and threatening Panoramic Hill. Together, these events demonstrate that Berkeley Hills is not merely adjacent to wildfire risk—it is embedded in it.