Knowing neighbors and helping each other stay safe are still among the best general advice, experts say.
One of the best ways to prevent loss due to urban wildfire for people in the East Bay who own homes or properties is low-tech, requires minimal physical exertion and is entirely free: Getting to know your neighbors.
“I get questions online and either answer them or direct them to city of Oakland departments, the people who are the experts,” Burgess said. “We bring people up to Gateway Gardens, pop-up social events and have quarterly meetings about fire safety and crime that are well attended, but It’s remarkably effective to get to know your neighbors.
“In the hills, there are pine and eucalyptus trees that have great potential to burn,” Burgess said. “The eucalyptus sheds leaves that have oil that are high fuel sources, as are dry pine needles on roofs. Embers in high winds travel more than one-quarter mile, and fuel creates opportunities for sparking fires. It comes back to anticipating that in a wildfire urban area, things happen in a flash.”
In early June, the Oakland Fire Department announced a pilot wildfire detection program involving a partnership with the U.S. Homeland Security Department’s Science & Technology Directorate, TechNexus Venture Collaborative and technology company N5 Sensors. The OFD’s Hunt says speaking in 2022 with experts at a public safety conference led to the department acquiring 10 sensors that are now installed throughout the wildlife urban interface in Oakland.
Hunt said the department’s communication with people like Burgess has never been better than it currently is, with updates about evacuation plans and changes in fire safety codes flowing through weekly phone calls and online. The same heightened rate of interaction is true of messaging the public, he said.
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