The City of Albany would like to provide some initial information regarding the fires in the Albany Hill area on Sunday, June 26^th as well as recognize preparation, training, and mitigation efforts done by City departments and neighboring agencies that helped to quickly contain the fires. A larger assessment of the incident is currently being conducted and more information will be provided to community members when the assessment has been completed.

The Albany Fire Department responded to a wildland fire, with a mutual-aid response, at 3:23 PM, arriving on scene at 3:27 PM. The fire agencies involved were Albany, Berkeley, Richmond, El Cerrito, and the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District. The wildland fire impacted areas near Cleveland and Washington Avenues, as well as a portion of the western aspect on Albany Hill. The Albany Police Department handled the evacuation of residents and road closures within the impacted areas of the City. At approximately 4:00 PM, evacuation efforts started which included the residents of Gateview Avenue, Hillside Avenue, and Taft Street, who were ordered to evacuate to 1 Buchanan St, Albany (Golden Gate Fields). This was announced to residents through AC Alert, Alameda County’s alert and emergency notification system. To inform residents nearby the fire, the Albany Police Department requested a helicopter from the East Bay Regional Parks District Police Department that encouraged residents to evacuate. Albany Police patrol units also had digitally programmed messages for evacuation purposes that played over a unit’s PA System. The evacuation order was lifted at approximately 6:43 PM.

On Sunday, June 26^th, the day of the fire, a suspect was taken into custody without incident for suspicion of arson. This matter is still under investigation. The Albany Police Department would like to encourage community members to do the following:

Be aware of your surroundings.

Look out for your neighbors and the neighborhood.

Report suspicious behavior when it’s occurring.

The City would like to recognize the quick, coordinated response from emergency responders from the City and its neighboring agencies. We are greatly appreciative of the partnership the City has with these agencies in the event of an emergency. This type of ongoing partnership is one of the many efforts the City has taken to reduce the impacts of fire related incidents on Albany Hill. We would also like to acknowledge the community members whose attentiveness and quick notifications to Albany Police Department dispatch assisted in the rapid response to the fire as well as placed officers in the area to take enforcement action. In addition, we would like to acknowledge our residents, particularly those in the Albany Hill area that had to evacuate during the fires. This type of situation can be incredibly stressful, and we appreciate your preparedness and partnership.

For the last several years, the Fire and Public Works Departments have worked collaboratively on fuel reduction through vegetation management. In 2018, Albany voters approved Ballot Measure M, which enacted an ongoing special parcel tax in the City of Albany to fund the maintenance and improvement of City park and open space facilities. A portion of these funds have been used for vegetation management on Albany Hill. In addition, Public Works entered a multi-year partnership with Urban Tilth starting in April of 2020 that has a Stewardship Field Crew working with City staff in all three of Albany’s natural areas (Albany Hill, Cerrito Creek, and Codornices Creek) to reduce fire hazards by mowing grasslands, pruning along pathways and fire roads, thinning young oak trees, removing excess accumulations of bark and downed wood, and watering and planting of native plants to replace non-native plants that pose a greater risk of a fire hazard. The Albany Fire Department also does daily patrols of Albany Hill. In 2021, a hydrant was installed at the Taft Street turnaround. This hydrant expedited pressurized water to a critical area during the Albany Hill fire. These ongoing efforts, programs, and actions helped prevent further spreading of the fire.

Preparation for this type of incident also occurred through wildland mutual aid trainings with neighboring agencies. In 2019, prior to the pandemic, an Albany Hill Evacuation Drill occurred where participating residents evacuated to Golden Gate Fields. This drill included the Albany Fire Department, the Albany Police Department, Albany Neighborhood Services, and Albany CERT. Albany Fire Department crews have not only gained valuable experience from drills and trainings, but also when deployed as a mutual aid resource within the State of California to contain wildfires. These deployments helped crews better understand how to fight the type of fire that was on Albany Hill.

On Tuesday, June 28^th, the City of Albany Public Works Department, Community Development Department, and Fire Department met with a specialized arborist to view the area impacted by the fire and identify hazardous trees and other work needed to keep the area safe. Due to safety concerns, we ask all community members to stay out of these fire affected areas on Albany Hill until the work to remove hazardous trees and related vegetation impacted by the fire has been completed. The property owner of the affected Albany Hill area is also taking steps to remove hazardous trees.

As a reminder, in the event of an emergency, there are things residents can do prior to an evacuation:

Visit readyalbany.org for information and tips on how to make a household evacuation plan and better prepare in the event of an emergency.

Pack anEmergency Kit.

Sign up forAC Alertto receive important information and emergency notifications for the City of Albany.

To learn more about efforts made by City staff to mitigate fire risk as well as review studies conducted about Albany Hill’s trees, please refer to the following public meetings:

Parks, Recreation & Open Space Commission Meeting: May 12, 2022

5?1. Update on Eucalyptus Project on Albany Hill and Natural Areas Maintenance

City Council Meeting: October 18, 2021

8-2. Update on Eucalyptus on Albany Hill and Authorization of Funding for the Albany Hill Eucalyptus Project (CIP No. 41015)

City Council Meeting: July 6, 2021

8-2. Presentation on Annual Fire Prevention Measures on Albany Hill

The City will continue to look for new ways to maintain our natural areas that is efficient, thoughtful, and thorough. We encourage community members to reach out for further questions by emailing [email protected].