This CA City Urges Residents To Ready For ‘Extreme Fire Weather’

BERKELEY, CA — A changing world requires new public safety strategies, and at least one California city is trying to meet the moment.

The city of Berkeley made national headlines this week when it issued an advisory urging hillside residents most at risk for wildfires to leave their homes in the event of "Extreme Fire Weather" events before a blaze even ignites.

Such events are defined by the Berkeley Fire Department as rare periods of extremely low humidity and high winds that are becoming increasingly common as the world gets hotter and drier.

The East Bay city experienced Red Flag conditions on 25 days in 2020 compared to just two Extreme Fire Weather days over the same period.

Berkeley is believed to be California’s only city to issue such an advisory, Bloomberg News reports.

“Extreme Fire Weather” conditions are more severe than Red Flag conditions, Berkeley officials said in a statement.

"A wildfire driven by hot, dry 'Diablo' winds can spread so quickly that even those who have taken all the traditional steps to prepare may not have time to evacuate safely once a fire starts.”

"In these extreme wind-driven fires, there may not be time for traditional notifications for evacuation advisories and warnings. Instead, the first alert you receive may be an order to immediately evacuate."

The East Bay hills, a region that towers over the cities of Berkeley and Oakland and boasts spectacular views of the San Francisco Bay, is among the Bay Area’s most vulnerable areas to wildfires.

The 1991 Oakland hills fire that killed 25 people and destroyed approximately 3,500 homes is among several of the state’s most disastrous blazes that occurred amid a “Extreme Fire Weather” event, city officials said.

Five of the six most destructive wildfires in California history occurred in a record-setting 2020 in which some 9,279 reported fires torched 4.2 million acres, destroying 10,488 structures and killing 31 people according to the Center for Disaster Philanthropy.

"We are essentially living in a megafire era," said Cal Fire Santa Clara Unit (SCU) Chief Jake Hess at a news briefing last summer.

"These significant events have been outpacing themselves every year."

The Golden State is experiencing another year of megafires.

The Dixie Fire in Northern California exploded in overnight and into Friday morning to become the third largest blaze in state history. The blaze has already torn through 676 square miles and threatens more than 10,000 homes. No deaths or injuries have been reported according to The Associated Press.

The conditions in the Berkeley Hills are to some degree unique, with around 10,000 homes built on steep, rugged terrain along narrow winding roads that present challenges for evacuees.

But there’s nothing unusual about the fire risks facing residents throughout much of the West Coast.

Public officials remain on edge as most of the American West including virtually all California's populated regions are now experiencing alarming drought conditions.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, as of Aug. 3, 95.07 percent of California is in a severe drought, 88.37 percent of the state is in an extreme drought and 46.45 percent of the state is experiencing "exceptional drought" conditions.

“We are in a new normal right now,” Berkeley Fire Department Special Operations Assistant Chief Keith May told Bloomberg News.

“We are telling people that during extreme winds, if a fire starts, you may not be able to get out in time.”