Fire Safety 

As I wrote this at the end of August, there was a three-acre grass fire in the Berkeley hills near Inspiration Point in Tilden Park. It was a frightening reminder of the persistent fire dangers we face, not just in the hills, but throughout El Cerrito and the East Bay.

Fire safety is public safety

The most important role of local government is public safety. While I am neither a fire safety nor vegetation management expert, I clearly understand there are links between fire safety and environmental protection, and that fire risks are amplified by environmental destruction and contamination.

Fire safety and vegetation management are complex public safety problems with solutions that require continually identifying and implementing best practices, engaging the community, committing necessary resources, and remaining vigilant. El Cerrito must seek the expertise of and learn best practices from both fire safety and environmental experts. The city must conduct education and awareness campaigns that ensure knowledge of and compliance with the city's Fire Hazard Reduction Guidelines. El Cerrito must adequately fund, equip and support not just the combined El Cerrito-Kensington Fire Department but also the maintenance, engineering, operations and environment services divisions within El Cerrito’s public works department. Dry weeds and invasive flammable brush need to be frequently cleared and removed. Erosion that destroys natural habitats and ecosystems needs to be prevented. Invasive eucalyptus groves, which pose an enormous fire risk, must be replaced with less-hazardous, non-invasive species.

Climate change and wildfires

The impact of global warming adversely impacts El Cerrito and other smaller communities as rising temperatures, water shortages and droughts increase the risk of wildfires that directly threaten both ecologically-balanced natural wildlife habitats of plants and animals as well as the built environment of human inhabitation (homes, businesses, schools, parks, etc.).

Climate change not only diminishes our quality of life, it threatens our safety and the survival of our planet.

Collaborating with stakeholders

Fire safety requires El Cerrito work collaboratively with a multitude of stakeholders, among them residents; fire experts; environmentalists; utility companies; community groups such as the California Fire Safe Council, CAL FIRE, Fire Safe El Cerrito, the West Contra Costa County Fire Safe Council, and the Berkeley Fire Safe Council (formerly known as the Hillside Fire Safety Group); regulatory agencies; government entities; regional partners; neighboring cities; and the Bay Area's nine regional counties.

Wildland urban interface

Wildland urban interfaces are transitional zones between unoccupied land and human development, where structures and other human development meet or intermingle with undeveloped wildland or vegetative fuels. As the term “vegetative fuels” suggests, this transitional zone between the natural wilderness and a human built-environment is of heightened risk of wildfires. With natural habitats and biodiversity replaced with ignitable human-built homes and buildings, vegetation management in these fire prone areas is essential to mitigating fire risks.

Hillside Natural Area

The Hillside Natural Area—El Cerrito’s largest park and recreation area—is a tremendously important wildland urban interface surrounding over 100 acres of public, city-owned undeveloped open space. It contains extensive native plants, woodlands, grasslands, streams and an old quarry, as well as trails used for recreation and emergency access. The Hillside Natural Area is an “urban forest” treasure that provides vital habitat for wildlife and native vegetation, as well as incredibly beautiful places to walk my dog and gawk at spectacular views of the San Francisco and Oakland skylines, rolling fog, the Golden Gate Bridge, Mount Tamalpais and the San Francisco Bay.

Rightfully so, there is great fear and concern in El Cerrito about the fire hazards posed by the Hillside Natural Area. I live in the hills near Cutting and Arlington and shudder when my neighbors cook on their outside barbeque. Decades later, I still recall with horror having watched the 1991 Oakland Hills fire take dozens of lives and destroy so much. It’s now almost routine that come “fire season” the skies will emit a burning glow and falling ash will sprinkle down upon El Cerrito.

To its credit, the city of El Cerrito is developing the Hillside Natural Area Fire Resilience and Forest Conservation Management Plan to help guide and shape fire prevention, habitat conservation and sustainable maintenance. A final plan is expected to be presented for city council approval in early 2025. A draft presented to the city council in June 2024 included the following eight recommendations: 

Highest Priority

1. Create defensible space within 100 feet of residential structures immediately adjacent to the Hillside Natural Areas.

High Priority

2. Establish fuel breaks.
3. Remove eucalyptus and non-native conifers.
4. Manage a sustainable system of fire roads.

Medium Priority

5. Actively manage threats to native oak species.
6. Remove invasive shrubs and herbaceous species.
7. Restore and re-establish native species.
8. Monitor key performance indicators.

I encourage you to read through the full Hillside Natural Area Fire Resilience and Forest Conservation Management Plan to better understand El Cerrito’s land management, habitat conservation and fire safety efforts.

My responsibilities

We all have a moral obligation to be good stewards of our planet and the communities in which we live.

When it comes to fire safety, my responsibilities as a council member are to

• ensure that El Cerrito is fully committed and sufficiently resourced to implement the expertly-devised comprehensive Hillside Natural Area Fire Resilience and Forest Conservation Management Plan;
• be a fully-engaged fire safety advocate who listens to the cares and concerns of residents;
• learn from fire safety and environmental experts;
• understand and implement the best practices of fire safety, vegetation management and sustainable conservation;
• stay informed about the specific challenges and risks posed by the Hillside Natural Area;
• make sure the fire department and public works department are sufficiently staffed and funded;
• support the city in identifying and securing grants and other fire safety funds; and
• develop and foster partnerships with residents, fire experts, environmentalists, utility companies, community groups, regulatory agencies, government entities, regional partners, neighboring cities and counties; and other stakeholders.

As I said earlier, the most important role of local government is ensuring public safety. Fire safety is public safety.