City officials in Berkeley are asking residents to be prepared to potentially evacuate their homes as the city prepares for wildfire evacuation drills through the month of August.
As wildfire concerns intensify through the summer, Berkeley residents are asked to be prepared with "go bags". Below are dates you should prepare for and things you should do to be ready.
Dates of evacuation drills:
- On August 4th, 9-10am: The approximate impacted drill area will be between the Berkeley-Oakland border (to the east) and Telegraph Ave. (to the west) and Dwight Way (to the north) and Alcatraz Ave. (to the south).
- On August 11th, 9-10am: The approximate impacted drill area will be between the borders of Wildcat Canyon Road (to the east) and The Alameda (to the west) and Berkeley-Contra Costa County border (to the north) and Codornices Park area (to the south).
- On August 25th, 9-10am: The approximate impacted drill area will be between the borders of the Berkeley- Contra Costa County border (to the east) and Spruce Street (to the west) and Codornices Park area(to the north) and UC Berkeley campus (to the south).
Steps to prepare and practice for wildfires:
- PREPARE: Sign up for emergency information and evacuation notices via AC Alert, where you can decide which of your phone numbers you want alerted. You can also find information during emergencies by listening to 1610 AM, Berkeley's Emergency Radio Station. Pack a "go bag" for each member of your household with the things you would need to safely evacuate. Learn more on our wildfire evacuation website.
- PRACTICE: Make a plan to evacuate using two different routes by foot, and two routes for your family to leave via car. Practice using them.
- PLAN: For you and your neighbors to help each other. Make sure everyone knows to evacuate, and has a backup plan if they can't drive out. The Berkeley Path Wanderers have very useful maps of the hills, which can help you plan your route. In August, different hills neighborhoods will have the opportunity to practice evacuation with firefighters and other first responders.
- BE AWARE: Wildfire threats are highest on dry, windy days. When the National Weather Service releases "Red Flag Day" notices, you will receive a notification from the AC Alert system. On those days, be careful in the hills, avoiding anything that could cause a spark, and make sure your household is ready to rapidly evacuate.
