Sign-Up Now For Wildfire Evacuation Drill

BERKELEY, CA — A wildfire evacuation drill was held in Berkeley last weekend, andtwo more are scheduled this month. If you live in one of the designated areas, sign up now to participate.

Here are the zones for each drill:

• 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).

To sign-up, send your contact information and address to OES@cityofberkeley.info. You will receive instructions on how to participate in the drill.

In the meantime, the City of Berkeley has released these reminders for living in a wildfire zone:

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.

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