News and Notes
2022 Ushers in New Era for OFSC
January 3, 2022
When Ken Benson and the late Dinah Benson and I created the Oakland Firesafe Council (OFSC) in 2014, our goal was to provide local residents with timely, accurate and practical tips and tools to help make them more firesafe. In seven years, […]
Remembering the 1991 Oakland-Berkeley Firestorm
October 19, 2021
Brian Krans, reporter for Oaklandside/Berkeleyside, has produced a 30-minute podcast that accurately and succinctly reveals how the 1991 Oakland-Berkeley Firestorm forever changed how the East Bay — and the state of California– looks a wildfires. JuanCarlos Guerrero and Brandon Behle […]
OFSC’s Recommendations to CalTrans’ D4 Vegetation Management Plan
August 30, 2021
At its July meeting, the Oakland Firesafe Council approved moving forward with a review of Caltrans D4 Vegetation Management Plan, released in June, 2021. Our comments were released to Caltrans on August 30,2021: We thank CalTrans for giving the Oakland […]
OFSC opposes SB9 and SB10 unless amended to account for wildfire safety
July 19, 2021
The Oakland Firesafe Council has sent letters to Senator Nancy Skinner, Assemblymember Buffy Wicks and the authors and coauthors of two state senate bills that call for additional housing in heretofore single family housing zones. SB9 allows for accessory dwelling […]
East Bay Wildfire JPA launches new website
June 22, 2021
Check out the new website for our community awareness efforts to form an East Bay Regional Wildfire Prevention Vegetation Management District for the very high fire hazard severity and high fire hazard severity zones in the East Bay Hills. We […]
Oakland/Alameda County Launch Zonehaven for Evacuation Guidance
June 15, 2021
Oakland, CA — Today, representatives from the Oakland Fire Department and Oakland Police Department, along with a countywide taskforce made up of fire, police and emergency management agencies, jointly announced the launch of the “Know your Zone” campaign to help residents and businesses be […]
East Bay Resident Makes Fire Prevention a Passion
May 20, 2021
OAKLAND (KPIX) — An Bay Area resident who has been a fire prevention activist since she lost her home in the Oakland Hills firestorm 30 years ago, Sue Piper is passionate about disaster preparedness. The Gateway Preparedness Exhibit Center educates people on […]
OFSC Raises Serious Concerns about Wildfire Section of Oakland’s Draft Local Hazard Mitigation Plan
May 8, 2021
In a letter to members of Oakland’s Public Safety Committee which will hear a report on the draft Local Hazard Mitigation Plan on May 11,2021, the Oakland Firesafe Council (OFSC) raised concerns about the process and the content of the […]
OFSC Seeks Exemptions for ADUs in WUI All Along Evacuation Route
April 23, 2021
The Oakland Firesafe Council, along with Make El Cerrito Firesafe, sent letters to State legislators today about bills dealing with addressing rezoning to allow for accessory dwelling units and increased density to address the affordable housing crisis in the state. […]
Major Die Off of Trees in East Bay Increases Fire Risk
April 15, 2021
By John Brega, Oakland Wildland Steward and Adopt-a-Spot Volunteer The year 2020 saw a massive die-off of many kinds of trees and shrubs in the East Bay hills, the Bay Area in general, and throughout much of coastal Northern California. […]
“How Will We Manage East Bay Wildfire Risk?
April 5, 2021
From California Native Plant Society: While 2020 is a year most of us would just as soon forget, as long as the climate keeps warming, the risk of large wildfires will continue as part of the “new abnormal.” How we […]
Stanford Symposium Focuses on Wildfire in the West
March 31, 2021
The State of the West symposium is a gathering at Stanford to take stock of the economic and fiscal health of the Western region. It features academic researchers, business and investment practitioners, and other stakeholders concerned with the well-being of […]