10/20/2026
On this day 35 years ago a deadly firestorm tore through the Oakland Hills, killing 25 people and injuring 150. To this day, it remains one of the worst fires in Oakland’s history. Bay Area-based photographer Richard Misrach captured the scene above at Hiller Drive and Charing Cross Road.
The region was in its fifth year of a drought at the time, and strong winds fanned undetected embers overnight, causing flames to explode. The memories of this devastating fire remind us of the importance of learning from Indigenous fire stewardship practices. Our recent exhibition “Good Fire: Tending Native Lands” explored how Native communities in Northern California have used controlled fire, also called “good fire” or “cultural burning,” to care for the land and sustain traditions for millennia. Learn more about protecting these practices from Cultural Fire and Sogorea Te’ Land Trust.
Now on view in the Gallery of California Art, this photograph asks us to remember the lives lost, the devastation experienced, and the Oakland community that came together in the aftermath.
📸: Richard Misrach, Oakland Fire #44-91 (Sold, Hiller Drive and Charing Cross Road), 2011; 1991. Pigment print. Collection of the Oakland Museum of California. Gift of Richard Misrach.
