News and Notes
On Becoming Oakland’s FIRST Firewise USA® Site
April 8, 2022
We became aware of Firewise USA® through our fire prevention work as volunteers with the Friends of Joaquin Miller Park, and discussions with our committed fire professionals in the area like Sue Piper, Captain Chase Beckman and Doug Mosher helped […]
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 […]