Some Berkeley Hills residents urged to leave over high winds, fire risk

By Tim Fang

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    California (KPIX) — City officials in Berkeley on Friday urged some residents in the Berkeley Hills to consider leaving their homes, as high winds are expected to raise the risk of fires.

According to a city statement, residents in the hills are being urged to stay on heightened alert from 8 p.m. Friday through 7 a.m. Saturday. During that period, extremely low humidity is expected, along with winds of up to 25 miles per hour and potential gusts of up to 30 mph.

“The combination of strong winds, low humidity, and dry vegetation are the most dangerous fire conditions Berkeley has seen in four years and would enable wildfires to spark and spread rapidly,” the city said.

People living in the hills are being told to stay on heightened alert and to keep phones charged with ringers on and nearby. Residents who would have trouble getting out quickly in the event of a wildfire are also being asked to consider leaving their homes.

Officials said the conditions pose particular risk to residents who live in Fire Zones 2 and 3, due to narrow roadways that pose evacuation challenges.

“The narrow, curvy street network in the Berkeley hills can get crowded quickly. The more people who leave the area in advance, the more space there will be on roads if an evacuation is required,” officials said.

Berkeley officials have coordinated with five hotels in the city to offer discount rates. Additional information about the hotels can be found on the city website.

The recommendation comes as the Bay Area is in the midst of a Red Flag Warning, which remains in effect until 5 p.m. Saturday.

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