Residents in the Oakland Hills are organizing and passing a petition asking the city to immediately reopen the shuttered fire stations after fires in Southern California bring to light local fears.
Jacqueline Brown remembers all too well the devastation the Oakland Hills fire caused in 1991. Not only was her family home and entire neighborhood leveled, but her next-door neighbors were killed in the blaze.
She said the fires in Los Angeles County bring back all the bad memories.
"It's not something you can describe," Brown said. "It's something that you feel, and it never goes away. You can put it in a safe place, but it's always tucked away."
Longtime Oakland resident Larry Hill said the fires have triggered a lot of fear. The city shuttered two fire stations on Monday in an effort to balance the budget, and Hill said he doesn't feel safe.
"I feel vulnerable. I feel scared. I have my family in this community. We know it can happen in a fire situation," he said. "It can happen here. It can happen tonight. It can happen today, so that has to be dealt with right now. And this community is going to organize itself and address it."
The Oakland Firefighters Union said the station closures are putting lives at risk. He said the fires down south show that fire season is truly year-round.
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"This is something where we are literally playing with people's lives," said Seth Olyer, president of the firefighters union. "We all took an oath to come out and protect lives and property, and we're unable to do that in the same way we were Sunday night."
Jacque Brown is also urging the city to reopen its stations. As she prays for folks in Southern California, she doesn't want to experience another tragedy here.
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"Get your act together, get your act together, don't waste any more time," she said. "It's heartbreaking because it all comes back."
