Give input on areas for highest fire risk.

Berkeleyans can provide input on whether the City should adopt or expand state-defined “fire hazard severity zones” – areas where Berkeley property owners are already required to remove vegetation, mulch, fences, or other flammable materials next to their homes while also reducing vegetation within 100 feet.

New home construction and remodels in these state-defined zones will continue to require “home hardening,” the term used to describe materials and building methods more resistant to flames and embers.

CAL FIRE labels zones as “fire hazard severity zones” primarily because of their proximity to wildlands – such as the areas on Berkeley’s Eastern border that form the primary threat for wildfire to enter Berkeley. These wildland-bordering neighborhoods are critical for slowing or stopping a wildfire. High winds, heat, and dry conditions can quickly propel flames and embers down the hills to jump from home to home. Numerous, simultaneous structure fires are extremely hard to defend.

Berkeley Fire will use these maps as a foundation to develop a more comprehensive risk map to determine fire-fighting and prevention strategies. This eventual model would include factors such as housing type, age, density, fire modeling, and extent of “hardened” homes, as well as the evacuation capacity of the winding, hillside roads.

Berkeley Fire will use these comments as the City weighs whether to expand these boundaries at an April 15 City Council meeting. State law prevents cities from shrinking the boundaries.

See CAL FIRE’s proposed “very high fire hazard” boundaries and provide your comments on our online forum by 5:00 pm on Tuesday, April 1, 2025.