Berkeley Asks Residents To Provide Input On Wildfire Response

BERKELEY, CA — The city of Berkeley is asking for community members to provide input on how it responds to wildfire through a short survey offered on the city's website.

The goal of the survey is to help the city of Berkeley refine a wide-ranging plan to improve how the city and its residents can prepare for and respond to wildfires, the city said in a news release issued Feb. 24.

The survey, which closes March 15, will ask for priorities and actions of respondents individually, as a neighbor, and as a community, the city said.

The city of Berkeley's Wildfire Protection Plan, which sets out a multi-year program covering five priority strategies and an action plan, covers issues including wildfire response, community preparedness, fuel management, infrastructure, ignition reduction, and home hardening, the city said

The draft plan includes a review of existing natural and built conditions, firefighting resources, regulatory context, and current plans and policies, the findings of community input from three previous online surveys and prioritization of hazard reduction strategies, programs, projects, and activities drawing from the nationally recognized Fire Adapted Communities Framework.

The draft plan also pinpoints Berkeley’s five highest priority projects, along with their roles, responsibilities, relative funding needs, and timetables.

"We will use your input to finalize our plan to protect Berkeley from wildfires," the news release said. "Hills neighborhoods are particularly vulnerable, where wildfires can spread quickly and uncontrollably. "

The final step in the city's wildfire response planning process will be to incorporate comments on the draft and submit it for adoption to the City of Berkeley Fire Department, CAL FIRE Santa Clara Unit, and the Berkeley City Council.

To review the draft plan, click here. The survey can be completed here.

The Wildfire Protection Plan is one of several disaster preparedness projects the Berkeley Fire Department is leading to better ready the community for disasters, the city said, adding that the funding for the plan comes from Measure FF, a parcel tax approved by Berkeley voters in 2020.

For more information visit the project webpage here.