As local residents mark the 20th anniversary of the devastating East Bay hills firestorm, government officials insist important lessons were learned that will help prevent a similar disaster in the future.   
   
But two decades later, Bay Area families may not be as safe as some are suggesting.

The Oakland Hills Firestorm on that hot, windy week in October of 1991 was the worst urban wildfire in American history.

25 people lost their lives. More than 3,000 homes were turned to cinders despite well over 1,000 firefighters from all over California trying to stop the incineration night and day for almost a week.

If not for a helpful change in the weather, the damage could have been much worse.

Kelly Huston, a spokesman for the California Emergency Management Agency, said the firestorm had a historic impact.

"The East Bay hills fire was actually a watershed event for this state and emergency managers and fire agencies," explained Huston.  "When that fire erupted, they were already behind the ball. They were already trying to battle with high winds and a fire that was spreading very quickly. Add to that fire companies from around the region who were unable to get water. There wasn't an adequate system of communication for them to talk to each other."

Today there are dedicated emergency communication frequencies for all emergency workers. There are new systems designed to ensure sufficient water pressure in all hydrants.

There was one other significant problem 20 years ago: not all the fire departments had the same size connectors for hoses and hydrants.

"At the time the national standard thread was two-and-a--half inch. Two cities in the Bay Area that were unique were Oakland and San Francisco, which had three-inch outlets," said Oakland Battalion Chief James Williams. Williams was a rookie fireman on the fire line 20 years ago.

"Shortly after the fire, we retrofitted all the hydrants in Oakland and they now have two-and-a-half inch hydrants," explained Williams.
 
San Francisco simply bought adapters.

Some Oakland residents said their city has also taken some shortcuts that remain dangerous.

Sean Walsh is on the Wildfire Prevention District citizen's committee.

"For fifteen years, the Oakland park district has been trying to work on a plan for major hazardous brush mitigation," said Walsh. "Eucalyptus is enemy #1 along with Scotch Broom and French Broom."

Walsh and others say a small band of reactionary critics is holding up the removal of the non-native fire dangers because they declare it ecologically incorrect.

"Fifteen years they've been trying to take those trees out," explained Walsh. "And we're still stuck not removing them."

In fact, there is a lawsuit over the matter. The sierra club has weighed in on the favor of removing the trees and brush.

There are other problems that have yet to be addressed, according to walsh.

"The roads are dreadful," said Walsh. "They didn't widen the roads when they could have."

Walsh points out the 1991 firestorm will probably not be the last fire.

"Macro, there's been a lot of progress since the last Oakland Hills fire," said Walsh. "But sports fans, we had it in '23, we had it in '70, we had 20 years ago and we're gonna have it again."