Although the exact cause was never determined, the fire began in the undeveloped
chaparral and
grasslands of
Wildcat Canyon, just east of the ridgeline of the
Berkeley Hills, and was propelled over the ridge and southwestward just south of
Codornices Creek by a strong, gusty, and intensely dry
northeasterly wind. The fire quickly blew up as it swept through the
La Loma Park and
Northside neighborhoods of Berkeley, overwhelming the capabilities of the Berkeley Fire Department to stop it. The house at 125 Shasta Road was the first to be destroyed in the fire. A number of UC students fought the advance of the fire as it approached the north edge of the University of California campus, at Hearst Avenue. The other edge of the fire was fought by firefighters as it advanced on
downtown Berkeley along the east side of
Shattuck Avenue north of University Avenue. Firefighters were rushed in from neighboring
Oakland, and
San Francisco sent firefighters by
ferry across the bay.Firefighting efforts were hampered by the inadequacy of water mains in northern Berkeley, where rapid development after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake had outgrown the water supply in the fire area. Firefighters trying to fight the fire connected to hydrants in the area that hissed dry. An additional problem was the predominance of cedar shake (rough shingle) roofs. However, according to Audrey Boyd in
The Berkeley Fire, "rivers of water could have been poured into that blaze without deterring it." The strong and dry wind lifted burning shakes off burning houses and quickly spread the fire. The fire was halted only when the northeasterly winds died down and were replaced by the cool, humid afternoon sea breeze. The fire lines were established at Hearst and Shattuck Avenues, where larger water mains delivered a reliable water supply for firefighting. The total loss was estimated at $10,000,000 by the National Board of Fire Underwriters. ==Aftermath==