Berkeley Mayor Announces Fire Fuel Reduction Program as City Faces Early Red Flag Warnings

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BERKELEY MAYOR JESSE ARREGUÍN ANNOUNCES FIRE FUEL REDUCTION PROGRAM AS CITY FACES EARLY RED FLAG WARNINGS & HISTORIC THREAT OF WILDFIRES

Berkeley is investing $500,000 towards reducing hazardous vegetation and ladder fuels on public and private property aimed at protecting the Berkeley community from growing wildfire threats

May 11, 2021

BERKELEY - Today, one of the earliest red flag warnings in city history ended. Only one other time in recorded history, in May of 2013, has a red flag warning been issued in the region this early in fire season. In recognition of the threat posed by wildfires to the Berkeley community, Mayor Jesse Arreguín detailed plans to protect the Berkeley community from this historic threat.

Under the Mayor and Council’s leadership, Berkeley has funded a fire fuel reduction program which is focused on removing hazardous vegetation and ladder fuels in city parks and on public property, removing hazardous trees and enhancing the Fire Fuel Chipper program which provides vegetation debris pickup and use of a chipper for residents in the fire zones. Removing vegetation and conditions which may spark fires is key to the city’s prevention efforts.

“Experts predict that this will be a historically difficult fire season,” said Mayor Jesse Arreguín. “We must protect our community, and that means preparing our community. Thankfully, the City Council approved $500,000 in one-time funding to prevent fires by removing hazardous vegetation and last year the voters approved a tax to expand our efforts towards fire safety, including vegetation management, an emergency warning signal and public information on evacuation. I implore Berkeley residents, in particular those living in high risk areas, to prepare a go-bag, to develop and know your evacuation plan, and refrain from parking in areas that may restrict fire access in the event of an emergency. We must remain vigilant as we hope for the best and prepare for the worst.”

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Jesse Arreguin