Berkeley fire chief warns wildfires similar to Los Angeles "can happen here"
The Berkeley fire chief says the images we're seeing out of Southern California are a grim reminder of what can happen locally.
Some areas like Oakland and Berkeley Hill have similar topography and vegetation to those in Los Angeles. Local fire municipalities are already trying to learn from the tragedy.
"If we didn't do that I think it would be criminal," said Berkeley Fire Chief David Sprague. "We have to learn, we're always learning."
Sprague penned a letter to the community in the Berkeley Scanner to recognize what is going on, try to inspire hope, and acknowledge that there are more mitigation efforts that can help the community protect itself from a mega-fire.
"We know that it can happen here," Sprague said. "Climate change has only made it more likely."
Sprague and Emile Castanchoa, who live near the Berkeley Hills, vividly remember the Oakland Hills Firestorm of 1991.
"It was very apocalyptic and I feel like having experienced that I know the graphic feeling, the tragic feeling of all of that and how things can change in a moment," said Castanchoa about the 1991 fire.
Castanchoa said when he walked outside on that day and there was ash in his front yard and the sky was black.
He still lives in the same home as he did in 1991, and the fire risk is always on his mind.
Especially as he grows increasingly concerned about insurance rates going up, and possibly being dropped from his coverage.
"Where are we headed? Why aren't we making fire risk and fire safety more of a priority?," Castanchoa asked.
Sprague says he is trying to do just that.
He is encouraging the community to embrace scientifically proven strategies to safeguard people and their structures. The first thing he is asking people to do is to make a plan to leave their homes in the Berkeley Hills in the case of extreme fire events. He says the streets are narrow and it will be impossible to move everyone out at the last moment.
"When we issue pre-emptive advisory to leave early when fire weather is forecasted we really need people to take that seriously and consider leaving the hills so we can reduce the number of people left to evacuate," Sprague said.
He's also asking people to establish a "Zone 0" buffer around their homes. Sprague suggests removing anything flammable from the first five feet around your home. This includes wooden fences/gates touching your home, refuse containers, and plants. He says this will create a defensible space so firefighters can protect it.
Finally, he's asking people to invest time and money in improvements that will "harden" your home against embers.
"We have to double down," said Chief Sprague. "We have to prepare because it's a matter of when, not if."
Berkeley Fire and Cal Fire have fire planning resources on their website to help people prepare their homes.
