Public Comment

Our young people weren’t around when Berkeley was engulfed in massive wildfires, first in 1923 and again in 1991. Over 650 houses were reduced to ash in the 1923 fire, which started northeast of UCB and raged down the narrow, densely built up streets below Wildcat Canyon Road all the way to Shattuck and Hearst Streets. Fire equipment struggled to get through the twisting, switchback streets at a time when fewer cars were parked in front of the houses.

In 1991, 3,354 houses and 456 apartments were destroyed, and 25 people died. The fire raged down from Grizzly Peak, engulfing Hiller Highlands, Vicente and Alvarado, crossed Highway 24 to Roble Road and on to El Camino Real and Hillcrest, and across to consume upper Rockridge all the way to Broadway. Fire crews were again unable to progress along many of the narrow, car-clogged roads above the Claremont Hotel. Some who died were in their cars trying to snake their way to safety.

Senate Bill 9 exempts ‘very high hazard areas’ in incorporated areas from mandatory banning of R-1 houses in favor of 8- to 14-unit apartments, but Berkeley’s fires started in unincorporated areas, and swallowed up vast swaths of ‘high hazard areas’ and even non-hazard areas like Rockridge, in which SB-9 and 10 encourages dense apartment building.

PLEASE urge our state lawmakes to VOTE NO ON SB 9 & 1