News and Notes
The Oakland Hills Remain a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone!
July 17, 2025
In February, CAL FIRE released drafts of new maps for Local Responsibility Areas (LRA) Fire Hazard Severity Zones for 90 days of public comment. In Oakland and many other jurisdictions in the East Bay, these new maps substantially reduced the […]
California’s Zone 0 Hearings: Closing In on the Finish Line
October 27, 2025
By Michel Thouati, FireSafe-FireWise Alliance; Elizabeth Stage, Oakland Firesafe Council At the October 23 hearing of the California Zone 0 Advisory Committee, the focus shifted from debate to definition. The meeting at McClellan Park in Sacramento was originally expected to […]
Oakland’s Crownridge Estates Firewise USA® Recognized Site
October 24, 2025
Helen Bulwik, resident lead, had this to share: Crownridge HOA is a community of 152 homes in the Oakland Hills, adjacent to Merritt College, and bordering Campus, View Crest, and Ridgemont Drives. As an HOA we already have relatively stringent […]
Oakland Firewise Groups Conduct Joint Evacuation Drill
October 7, 2025
By Maryanne Hubbard, CABS Firewise Firewise groups across Oakland are growing! This year, we have grown from 9 to 15 Firewise-recognized communities. With this growth comes an influx of learning, from hardening homes and improving preparedness to practicing evacuation. Evacuation […]
Oakland’s LaMasNA is a Firewise USA® Recognized Site!
October 1, 2025
Justin Graham, resident lead, had this to share: The Larry-Mastlands Neighborhood Association (LaMasNA) includes 47 homes along Larry and Mastlands in a compact area just to your right as you drive up Ascot between the schools and the Painted Rocks. […]
Zone 0’s Last Stand: Sacramento Hearing Sets the Stage for October 10 Rewrite
September 26, 2025
By Christophe Marcant, OFSC Board Member When the Zone 0 Regulatory Advisory Committee reconvened in Sacramento on September 22, the hearing carried the weight of finality. It followed a contentious session in Altadena the week before, where opponents turned out […]