Could the East Bay be another L.A.? Wildfire preparation is key

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Feb. 18, 2025) — Imagine it’s a warm, dry day in the East Bay. It hasn’t rained in a while, and the foliage from the top of Mt. Diablo to our front yards is dry and getting crispy.

Then north winds tear down through the Central Valley through our corridor to the Bay and ocean – Devil Winds, as they’re sometimes called.

Now imagine some children playing with popper fireworks on a hillside near the mountain. Or a minor car accident on the winding road up to the top sparking some brittle leaves. A power line flaring. Or, worst of all, an arsonist attempting some mischief.

Before we know it, our mountain has erupted in flames, aided by the dry conditions and that Devil Wind. Firefighters from the Contra Costa County Fire Protection Service (ConFire) quickly call in other agencies and CalFire.

But it’s too late, and soon, fire is racing down toward Clayton’s Dana Hills neighborhood at warp speed, or, on the other side, making its way to Montecito and Crystyl Ranch in Concord. It jumps Ygnacio Valley Road and suddenly, Lime Ridge and Walnut Country neighborhoods are threatened.

The houses catch fire like matchbooks. It’s an inferno.

‘Fuel for the fire’

This was the situation in Los Angeles just more than a month ago. Can it really happen here?

“No doubt, yes,” says Marsh Creek resident Sue Thompson, a former member of the East County Fire Protection Services Board and the Clayton/Morgan Territory unofficial safety czar.

“One of the lessons L.A. taught us is that you don’t need to be next to the fire,” Thompson says. “If the conditions are right, the wind can blow embers across highways and into concentrated neighborhoods. Houses are basically fuel for the fire.”

She says that the L.A. fires went 23 blocks into towns in Pacific Palisades and Alta Dana, all because of the urban concentration of homes and businesses that were not prepared or couldn’t prevent fiery embers from showering down on them, aided by the Santa Ana winds.

ConFire Battalion Chief Tom Zurflueh agrees that a fire could and might devastate parts of the Diablo Valley like what happened in Los Angeles.

“It’s the price we pay for living in a beautiful area like California,” he says. “The foliage, unpredictable rainy seasons and urbanization are all a factor. Add in a north wind, and it’s entirely possible we could have a situation like L.A.”

Becoming Firewise

But Zurflueh is not an alarmist.

“If people are prepared, then it won’t be as bad, and property and lives may not be lost.”

According to both Thompson and Zurflueh, excess foliage and debris around the perimeters of homes are two of the main culprits.

“Some of these overgrown trees and plants act as kindling and a home – or a neighboring home – can go up in a flash,” Zurflueh says.

They urge communities or neighborhoods to follow the Firewise plan.

“Firewise USA is a program that provides a framework to help neighbors get organized, find direction, and take action to increase the ‘ignition resistance’ of their homes and community, and reduce wildfire risks at the local level,” says Holly Tillman, a Clayton City Council member and coordinator of the city’s Firewise efforts.

The program is part of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and emphasizes community involvement and responsibility for wildfire mitigation.

“I chose to spearhead the formation of Firewise communities in Clayton to fortify wildfire prevention measures,” Tillman notes. “To-date, three neighborhoods or ‘communities’ have been assessed by ConFire and are in varying stages of progress.”

Creating defensible space

Tillman says participation in the program is voluntary, but it requires a commitment to actively engage in risk-reduction practices and create an action plan.

“For example,” she says, “remove anything that can burn from the perimeter of your home, like vegetation, doormats, wooden fences, and work with your neighbors to ensure your neighborhood is as defensible as it can be. What does that look like? Zero to five feet from the structure should be rock or hardscape only. Tree canopies should be at least 6 feet high.”

There are other advantages to Firewise. “It’s an opportunity for neighbors to meet each other, work together and help make their homes safer in a wildfire,” Thompson says. “There is a framework set up so no one has to start from scratch.”

With Firewise, neighbors and/or communities can have ConFire – or whoever their fire protection agency is – assess their community and make suggestions on how to be “firewise” by creating defensible spaces around homes, changing the landscaping and/or removing “ladder fuels” that can carry fire up into the canopies of trees.

Once the community – whether a neighborhood or an entire subdivision – comes up with a plan and executes it, ConFire sends the information to CalFire for approval. Once that happens, the plan goes to NFPA for certification.

“Firewise communities get a sign they can hang in their neighborhood. Firefighters can see that this is a community where residents have already been doing the work to reduce their risk,” Thompson says.

“It’s also a great way to meet and work with neighbors,” she adds. “You can also find out that a home that is overgrown with debris might not just be uninterested neighbors, but elderly folks or some with disabilities. You can help them out and get to know their needs.”

According to Thompson, firefighters say that much of their work defending homes during a wildfire is emergency landscaping. “Help them help you – do that work ahead of time.”

New statewide effort

There is a wealth of information online, including on the ConFire website (www.cccfpd.org), about keeping your yards fire-safe, from tips on trimming trees to suggestions on how to put in a rock garden, Thompson says.

As an added bonus, if you do trim excess trees and bushes, ConFire will come out for free with a woodchipper to help dispose of the foliage.

Even Gov. Gavin Newsom is helping out, as last month he signed an executive order forcing many Californians to create a five-foot “ember-resistant” zone around their houses. Within 45 days, state officials must create a draft of the ember-resistant rule and gather public input, so the law can be enacted by the start of 2026.

According to the Bay Area News Group, wildfire experts have recently underscored the dangers of wind-driven embers that can travel long distances and ignite foliage and flammable material on and around homes. With climate change and more frequent wildfires, officials have pushed for more “defensible space” around homes and businesses.

“If you have a neighbor with excess foliage and/or debris around their home, and you feel uncomfortable talking to them about it, contact ConFire and we will have a conversation with the resident,” Zurflueh says.

Making parkland safer

And we can’t forget about the local wildlands. Zurflueh says that ConFire usually uses the winter months to trim back trees, create fire diversion roads and generally prepare as much as possible on the land on and around Mt. Diablo, such as Shell Ridge, the Marsh Creek areas and Lime Ridge.

Over in Berkeley and Oakland, and in parks around Mt. Diablo it owns, the East Bay Regional Parks District (EBRPD) is also helping reduce the chances of violent and even smaller wildlands fires.

“The East Bay Regional Park District works year-round to reduce fire fuels to help keep parks and surrounding communities safe,” said EBRPD Fire Chief Aileen Theile. “The goal is to reduce fire intensity to give firefighters a fighting chance when fires do occur.”

That includes increasing staff to cut down on “fuels,” like fallen branches and excess foliage, boosting the budget through grants and voter-approved bonds, and doing such things as continuing the work at Anthony Chabot Regional Park. The district is cleaning a 667-acre space of fuels to thin and remove hazardous trees and vegetation, including eucalyptus trees. So far, they have completed 475 acres.

“These efforts are already making a measurable difference in reducing fire hazards and improving the resilience of natural ecosystems,” says EBRPD spokesperson Dave Mason.

ConFire is currently training firefighters on fighting wildland blazes and strategically placing equipment like bulldozers around vulnerable spaces so that they will be more easily accessible if a fire breaks out.

Get out early

But what if it’s not enough and a fire bleeds down Mt. Diablo into vulnerable neighborhoods? Then it’s time for evacuation.

Both Thompson and Zurflueh can’t stress enough the importance of evacuation, even if it’s just a warning and not an order.

“There’s no shame in being the first one out of the neighborhood,” Thompson says. “Have your go-bag packed with important items, like copies of documents and medications, pack up items for your pets and children to play with, and find a safe place to stay.”

There is a list of items suggested for a go-bag on ConFire’s website, Thompson says.

Zurflueh says that early evacuations help in many ways. If someone stays and is injured, firefighters must help them evacuate – losing time that could go toward saving other properties. Plus, if you evacuate early, you miss the sometimes terrifying traffic jams that occur when an order comes down and fire is moving swiftly toward your neighborhood.

Finally, with fewer cars on the streets, it’s easier for emergency vehicles to maneuver and possibly save your house more quickly.

Both Zurflueh and Thompson say to be sure to tune into websites and apps that will help you know about the fire, where it’s headed and any evacuation orders and warnings.

“These apps can be lifesavers,” Thompson says.

Yes, a devastating fire could happen here. But, as Thompson says, “Be prepared, not scared.”

Fire Safety Resources

• Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Firewise USA. www.cccfpd.org/firewise. A comprehensive sub-site that offers information on how to protect your home, add defensible space, start a neighborhood Firewise group, pack for evacuations and more.
• Watch Duty. watchduty.org An app where residents can sign up for alerts and information about fires in different areas, plus comprehensive coverage of press conferences and photos.
• Community Warning System. cwsalerts.com. One of the most comprehensive emergency warning systems in the state, CWS can alert residents and businesses within Contra Costa County that are impacted by or are in danger of being impacted by an emergency. The CWS message will include basic information about the incident and specific protective actions (shelter-in-place, lockdown, evacuation, etc.) It also offers power shut-off alerts. Sign up and get warnings on your phone, iWatch, landline and email.