June 27, 2023

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SERVICES. RESOURCES. COMMUNITY.

News from the City of Berkeley

Safely celebrate July 4th – Avoid fireworks, certain hillside roads

Fireworks are illegal citywide. They pose a high risk of starting fires. Grizzly Peak Boulevard and Panoramic Way will be closed to non-residents.

Help keep our community safe this holiday weekend by not using fireworks within the city, especially in the Berkeley hills. 

Fireworks remain illegal in Berkeley and many nearby communities and they can cause severe injuries and start fires.  

These risks are especially worrisome in the Berkeley hills, where fires can ignite and spread quickly.

Grizzly Peak Boulevard, Panoramic Way closed to non-residents  

To lower fire risk and allow quick access for emergency vehicles, Grizzly Peak Boulevard will be closed between Centennial Drive and Skyline Boulevard to all traffic except residents traveling to and from their homes and delivery vehicles. 

Grizzly Peak closures will start Tuesday, July 4 at 5:00 a.m. and continue through Wednesday, July 5 until 5:00 a.m. City personnel will not allow traffic past these points unless people can show that they live on Grizzly Peak Boulevard or in the immediate area. Traffic posts will be in place to prevent through traffic at:

• Centennial Drive between Stadium Rim Way and Grizzly Peak Boulevard

• Lomas Cantadas and Grizzly Peak Boulevard

• South Park and Grizzly Peak Boulevard

• Claremont Avenue, Fish Ranch Road, and Grizzly Peak Boulevard

• Skyline Boulevard and Grizzly Peak Boulevard

A similar closure will also take place on Panoramic Way at Prospect Street, which will be closed to non-residents on Tuesday, July 4 from 2:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m.

No stopping will be allowed along Grizzly Peak, where all turnouts will be closed. The Lawrence Hall of Science and UC Botanical Gardens will also be closed.

All closures are coordinated in partnership with UC Berkeley, the City of Oakland, the East Bay Regional Park District, and Alameda County.

Fireworks illegal throughout Berkeley 

Fireworks – including those marketed as "safe and sane" – are not allowed in Berkeley. Nor are they allowed in East Bay Regional Parks, which includes the nearby Tilden Regional Park and McLaughlin Eastshore State Park.

You may be liable for fires, injuries, and property damage caused by your fireworks. If you have or find fireworks, give them to personnel at any Berkeley Fire Station for safe disposal.

If you see fireworks being discharged, please report them to Berkeley Police non-emergency dispatch at (510) 981-5900.

Since the City will not host a festival or fireworks show this year at the Berkeley Waterfront, look for other fun and meaningful ways to spend the holiday.

Celebrate safely – for yourself and our community.

Link

• Safely dispose of fireworks at any Berkeley Fire Station

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Reduce lithium-ion battery fire risk for e-skateboards, e-scooters, and e-bikes

Know how to safely care for, replace, and re-charge lithium batteries—increasingly common in household devices but also the cause of at least six recent fires in Berkeley when left charging unattended.

These local battery fires—involving e-skateboards, e-scooters, and at least one e-bike—have also been seen around the region and nation. Simple tips can help keep you and your household safe:

• Use the original manufacturers’ chargers, batteries, or replacements.
• Charge for only as long as it takes to reach a full charge, then disconnect from power source.
• Protect your battery while charging and storing it away from extreme heat, cold, and other flammable items.
• Help prevent fires and reduce risks to people, property, and buildings by identifying distressed batteries (swollen, dented, or otherwise damaged) and discarding them safely at a drop-off site—not in your garbage can.

Acting quickly during lithium battery emergencies can help ensure everyone’s safety. If a fire breaks out, evacuate the area and call 9-1-1.

“Electric bikes, scooters, and other devices are important to building sustainable transportation in our community,” said Berkeley Fire Chief Dave Sprague. “As these and other devices become an increasing part of our lives, we also want to be smart in how we use and take care of them.”

Read more at berkeleyca.gov.

Protect your home by using services to remove vegetation

Prepare for wildfire season by using a free City of Berkeley program that will take away shrubs, limbs, bushes, and other “hard” vegetation you gather from your property.

Berkeleyans can sign up online for this service, known as our “Berkeley Chipping Program," which allows residents to schedule the week the City will pick up vegetation debris.

In addition, those in certain higher-risk areas of the Berkeley Hills that pay a fire district surcharge can request a vegetation debris bin, which can help move even larger amounts—and an even greater variety—of cleared vegetation from their property.

Make an appointment for the Citywide chipper service.

Read more at berkeleyca.gov.

Take control: wildfire readiness video series

The City's Office of Emergency Services has created a video series to help community members understand the growing wildfire threat facing Berkeley and what you can do to take control before a fire starts. 

These videos walk you through making a fire weather plan for your household, explain how weather conditions relate to fire risk, and highlight the behind-the-scenes work the Berkeley Fire Department is doing to prepare our community for the 2021 wildfire season and beyond. See the playlist on YouTube.

More news from the City of Berkeley

• Summer music concerts in Berkeley parks: Reggae, Jazz, R&B, Soul, Kids Music, and more, May 31, 2023
• Temporary eviction protections for renters May through August 2023, May 17, 2023
• Register to use some or all of your home to host short-term rentals, April 27, 2023
• Plan ahead for summer overnight camps for families, youth, and adults, January 30, 2023

We're here to help

Access City services online or by calling
(510) 981-2489, or 3-1-1 inside City limits. 

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