The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1923-09-20
1000 HOMES BURNED
in BERKELEY BLAZE
CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITY CITY
BADLY SINGED-WIND AND
BRUSH FIRE CAUSE


of H. B. Mason and family of this
city,.
Berkeley, Calf. Sept 18.-More
than 1000 houses were destroyed
with a property loss of $8,000,00O
in a fire which devastated the north
east residential section of Berkley,
Monday, according to the reports of
a survey completed at noon Tuesday
by City Assessor Harry ]. Squires.
A tabulation at l0:45 Tuesday a.
m. listed 25 persons injured as re-
suit of the fire, few seriously, and
25 r,issing. Many of the latter are
childrer and are believed merely tc
have become separated from then
trends. Reports of persons burned
to death or killed IL collapse of build
ings persist but there was no conflr-
nation of them.
Face Reconstruction
On the wings of dry, hot wind
that swept furiously from the land
ward brush fire in the Contra Costa
county hills above San Francisco bay
ieaped down the valley into Berkeley
Monday afternoon and for a time
gnawed its way unchecked toward
that part of the college town. 1t
burned 35 residential blocks in one
of the preferable sections, leaving
about 240O homeless before it was
brought under control.
Berkeley, the home OF the Unlver-
sity of California, situated across TN
bav from San Francisco, Tuesday
faced the greatest ask of reconstruc-
ton in its history. The fire, sweep
ing trough the prosperous and thick
" settled districts of North Berke-
lev. laid waste the hundreds OF build
inqs. including the homes of many
wealthy and prominent citizens.
Tuesday only forest of stark,
flame charred chimneys, great masses
Of smouldering debris and piles OF
furniture and personal belongings
scattered in helter-skelter confusion
remain of what was. Monday morn morn /
ing peaceful suburban district.
Smoke Cloud Warns
The confagration began in small
brush fire. of undetermined origin,
early Monday on the northeastern
slone of the high ridge which hes
on the northern edge of the city. Al
noon an ominous cloud OF smoke
hlanketed the city, and blackened
embers of burning eucalyptus trees
fell in the heart of Berkeley's busl-
ness district. At 2 o'clock the flames
roared over the top of the ridge,
driven by the high wind, and swept
into the residential district.
Spreading in three directions, the
fire leaped from home to home, the
sparks carried by the wind enklndl-
ing trees, roofs and bushes. Wltmn
. Sfew hours the flames had spread
ten blocks to the southeast and were
stubbornly defying the effors OF
hundreds of frantic householders, po-
lice and fire departments from Berke-
lev and adjacent cities, and volun- 4 !:
teers. who fought vainly to extin- !
guish them.
Dynamite. with which the firemen y
ripped away fire break on the !
northeast, served to check the spread :
IN that direction but it was not until :,
The wind subsided shortly after Z
o'clock that the rapid advance OF !.
he fire was checked. :
Nearly dozen persons were treat
ID at hospitals and infirmaries IN =
Berkeley for minor injuries and for ! !,
,nrns. but none of the cases was
considered serious.
Soldiers Called
Patrolmen from Oakland and sur
.ounding bay cities were rushed to
Berkeley, 100 soldiers from Fort
Scott were entrained~ Immediately y y
md arrived at the scene Of the fire II u
t 8 o'clock. and several hundred n
-olunteers were assigned to posts !"
the edge of the fire zone. p
At the same time the Red Cross, II
he Salvation Army and other relief :
rganizations fiocked to the assist 7"
nee of the victims of the fire. =
Quarters were provided for the u :,
omeless SO quickly that scores who :
ffered their homes were told that =
he victims had been housed =.
Women of Berkeley rushed to the e. e.
itv hall and to the fire zone with :.
teaming pots of coffee and sand :, :,
riches and cared for the fire fight ~
RS and men who were directing the O.
ohstant stream Of traffic which ~
warmed along the roads in the VI O. @.
nifty. it
When darkness fell Monday night =. =.
erkeley was virtually an armed - -
amp with 700 soldiers of the reg ie
lar army and the national guard on
nty. A solid Gordon of armed men l| nI
lrrounded the burned area with ~
ndeaes to shoot to kill any looters.
Wild Confusion
Scenes of the widest confusion pc
no