With fire season approaching, hills residents should take steps now to prepare their household for power shutoffs and evacuations.
With fire season approaching, hills residents should take steps now to prepare their household for power shutoffs and evacuations.
Severe wildfires across Northern California over the last few years offer a stark reminder of how critical these precautions are, given our own vulnerabilities in the Berkeley hills. Mountain snowpack is significantly below average this year, which intensifies drought conditions and increases wildfire threat.
Get ready now by signing up for alerts, packing a go bag, and practicing evacuation with your family. These critical steps will not only safeguard your household, but will help firefighters respond.
Prepare your household
Fires can spark quickly and move at extremely high speeds. In an evacuation, you could have only moments to leave. Follow our wildfire evacuation recommendations to get ready.
- Get emergency alerts: Sign up for notifications via AC Alert. Register as many means of contact as possible so you will be notified wherever you are.
- Pack or refresh your "go bag": Everyone in your household should have a go bag with the things you would need to safely evacuate. In the era of COVID-19, this includes face coverings and hand sanitizer. If you have a go bag already, check it this week and replace any expired items, like food or batteries.
- Use our evacuation checklist: In an emergency, you have to act quickly. Even if you've planned ahead, it can be challenging to remember everything while under the pressure of an evacuation. Print out our wildfire evacuation checklist to use as a reference.
Practice evacuation
Identify your evacuation routes and practice using them with your family. Mark on a map and practice two routes by foot and two routes by car.
Plan for you and your neighbors to help each other. Make sure everyone knows to evacuate, and has a backup plan if they can't drive out.
The Berkeley Path Wanderers sell a useful map of the Berkeley hills which can help you plan your walking routes or guide you in an evacuation. We also have downloadable evacuation map on our website.
Be aware of heightened threats
Although a fire can strike at any time, wildfires are more likely to happen when certain weather conditions exist.
Red Flag Warnings
Wildfire threat is highest on dry, windy days. The National Weather Service issues a " red flag warning" when the combination of low humidity and strong winds is expected to increase the risk of fire danger.
When a red flag warning has been issued, you'll see red flags flying on City flagpoles and at fire stations. We'll publish a warning on the City's website and send alerts out over email and AC Alert.
During a red flag warning, use extreme caution and avoid anything that could cause a spark, including BBQs, power equipment, or other heat sources such as idling cars. Be prepared to evacuate.
Public Safety Power Shutoffs
During high fire danger conditions, PG&E may pre-emptively turn off power to threatened areas. These actions are called Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS).
Public safety power shutoffs create a double threat - a potentially multi-day power outage combined with high fire risk. If you live in a fire-prone area such as the Berkeley hills, it is critical to prepare for these events.
Shutoffs may last as long as six days. Once the fire danger has passed, PG&E must inspect all power lines and electrical infrastructure before restoring power. If your power goes out during a PSPS event, be prepared for an extended outage.
Download a copy of our printable safety tips flyer to refer to when the power is off.
The Office of Emergency Services helps the City of Berkeley and its people plan for, respond to, and recovery from disasters. Learn more about what you can do to get ready for disasters by visiting our websites about wildfire evacuation and all other hazards.
