Knowing Evacuation Zones Is Beneficial In Event Of Wildfire Or Other Emergency

Berkeley, CA — The city of Berkeley is asking all residents to learn their evacuation zones so they can react quickly should evacuation warnings be issued due to a wildfire or other public emergency.

Berkeley uses Zonehaven, a tool that brings local knowledge together with regional data and sophisticated simulations to create what the company says are “dynamic and up-to-date evacuation plans.” The tools are crucial to help local fire and rescue agencies to effectively conduct evacuations should they become necessary, Zonehaven said.

Residents can sign up with Zonehaven to learn their zones, a label that responders will use during wildfires and other emergencies to rapidly identify specific areas under threat, the city said.

“Zonehaven zone numbers will appear on evacuation orders sent via the AC Alert system, the countywide emergency messaging system, on which you should register your household’s mobile and landline numbers, as well as emails,” the city of Berkeley explained in a news release issued last week said.

In Berkeley, all the zone labels start with “BER,” such as “BER-E044” or “Berkeley Zone 44.”

According to the city’s Aug. 10 news release, Zonehaven is used throughout the state and was successfully utilized during “several recent major wildfires to significantly improve communication during emergencies.”

Wildfires are happening more frequently and are more severe when they do occur, the city said, so in addition to having a wildfire evacuation plan in place, knowing the zone a home is in is a “critical part of preparing for wildfires.”

Earlier this month, the Berkeley Fire Department recommended that residents of hillside fire zones make plans to evacuate during periods of extreme weather before fire strikes and will hold guided discussion groups to help refine fire weather plans Tuesday, Aug. 23, 6:30 to 8 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 25, 6:30 to 8 p.m., and Wednesday, Aug. 31, 6:30 to 8 p.m.