Dear Mayor Ishii and City Council Members,
I live in the wildfire mitigation area that will be impacted by the proposed EMBER ordinance. I cannot tell you how happy I am that the City of Berkeley is leading the way in a concrete effort to build resilience to the threat of wildfire in the Berkeley Hills. For years I have been afraid that we would burn down one day. I felt it was beyond my control, inevitable—you can ask my husband how many times it has come up. In fire season we have a go-bag by the door, and, when I go to sleep, I am never sure of what will happen, for months on end.
This past year, for me, has been a journey of learning about wildfire science and watching videos of the spread of fire through blowing embers. It has been terrifying, and, at the same time, empowering. It’s like getting a diagnosis for something that has been bothering you, but finding that the condition is treatable. I appreciate so much the efforts that the Berkeley Fire Department has undertaken to educate the public about ember propagation and what can be done to build defensible space and harden our homes. There is broad consensus among those who study wildfires that Zone 0 is a key component of any attempt to mitigate the threat. It seems clear to me that the state, while moving in the right direction, has already waited too long. The tragedies of the Palisades Fire, and Altadena could not help but remind us that we can be next.
I know that there are objections to EMBER in its original form: it’s a big ask, and tough for many people. I appreciate the fact that the council will look into some of the legitimate issues and form working groups to make it a better bill. But please do not let those efforts slow us down. We are courting disaster if we do not begin today. Some of the critical mitigations will take time to be accomplished, even by those willing, as many of us are. We know that this needs collective action. I believe this requires clear ground rules and enforcement. Because the risk of waiting has so much more dire consequences than the risk of being wrong in the details.
Please Pass EMBER now!
Respectfully,
Mary Pat Farrell