The 1905 Strawberry Canyon Fire occurred before there was systematic tracking of large fires around Berkeley. In fact, some reports mention that it was not noticed for a while because so few people were in the area.
Information on the fire is sparse:
- This is what the East Bay Times says about it: "In 1905 Berkeley had such a fire that burned over much of Strawberry Canyon. There was little development in the hills then, so no structures were destroyed. "
- California Alumni Magazine mentions: “In 1905, long before the hills above Berkeley were packed with houses, a wildfire burned from Grizzly Peak across Strawberry Canyon and to the edge of campus before it was stopped.”
- From UC Berkeley News, we read: "that [1923] fire was itself a virulent echo of August 1905, when a wind-whipped grass fire scorched Strawberry Canyon and burned hundreds of acres across Panoramic Hill toward the Claremont district. "
The data on the fire is vague. The date is uncertain—August, September or October 1905. We know that the fire stopped short of the North side of campus. What we know is that:
- all or most of Strawberry Canyon burnt
- Ignition was likely N of Strawberry Canyon
- The burnt area extended E of Strawberry Canyon
What we can gather from the existing information::
-
- Aug/Sept/Oct (unclear) 1905 - Strawberry Canyon North of UC Berkeley Campus. 125-300 acres. Diablo wind reported. Ignition unknown.
It is unclear how good is the data on which the outline of the fire is based. Here it is, overlaid on top of the Berkeley map:
If the outline is correct, the report of Diablo winds is likely true. From contemporary records, it does not appear that there was any intervention of firefighters. Berkeley Fire Department has just been created in October of the preceding year (although companies of volunteer firefighters had existed since 1877).