Air Now? Purple Air? Clairity? We compared the differences to help you track air quality in your Oakland neighborhood.
Tag: Wildfires
Posted inHealth & Environment
Wildfire smoke turns Oakland air unhealthy and obscures the hills
Smoke from wildfires in Oregon and far North California brought the smell of smoke to the East Bay Tuesday, with AQI readings topping 150, a level unhealthy for the general public.
Posted inHealth & Environment
It’s wildfire season. Here’s how to protect yourself from poor air quality
How do wildfires affect air pollution? How bad is smoke for my health? How do I track air quality and protect myself from smoke?
Posted inHousing & Homelessness
With insurers fleeing fire-prone California, what can be done in Oakland?
Councilmember Janani Ramachandran held a town hall this week to talk wildfire prevention and home insurance woes.
Posted inHealth & Environment
Smoke from Oregon and Northern California fires turns East Bay skies hazy
Unofficial sensors in many places in Oakland registered AQIs above 100 Wednesday.
Posted inHealth & Environment
How do you prepare for wildfires in Oakland? Get answers in our updated guide
We’ve updated our Oakland Wildfire Guide with preparation advice, evacuation guidance, and answers to your questions about air quality, power outages, and property defense.
Posted inHealth & Environment
Oakland urges PG&E to bury power lines in fire-prone hills
The utility giant is burying thousands of miles of power lines—but not in Oakland.
Posted inHealth & Environment
Joaquin Miller Park is a tinderbox. Volunteers warn of danger
The Friends of Joaquin Miller Park group wants Oakland to trim invasive, dead, and hazardous trees to prevent a massive firestorm.
Posted inHealth & Environment
After a wet winter, Bay Area goats have a lot on their plates
Thousands of goats who help reduce wildfire risk in Berkeley, Oakland and beyond are having to chew through thicker vegetation this spring.
Posted inHealth & Environment
Cause of last night’s Oakland hills fire: a burning truck on I-580
The third fire in three weeks on the busy highway briefly spread toward homes until it was extinguished.
Posted inHealth & Environment
3 big studies on East Bay’s creatures, plants and wildfire risk
A first-of-its-kind analysis looked at the health of East Bay wildlife, from bats to bobcats and salamanders to steelhead. Two major mapping projects will dive deep into vegetation and wildfire hazard.
Posted inHealth & Environment
How do you prepare for wildfires in Oakland? Get answers in our guide
We’ve updated our Oakland Wildfire Guide with preparation advice, evacuation guidance, and answers to your questions about air quality, power outages, and property defense.
Posted inCity Hall & Policing
Oakland City Hall in conversation: Sheng Thao
The District 4 representative, who is running for mayor, talks wildfire safety, affordable housing, and Howard Terminal.
Posted inHealth & Environment
Is my fireplace illegal? And other burning questions about wood smoke in Oakland
Fireplaces and fire pits are the largest sources of unhealthy pollution in the winter. Here are the rules and recommendations around burning wood and sparing the air.
Posted inHealth & Environment
Listen: Remembering the 1991 Oakland-Berkeley Firestorm
To mark the fire’s 30th anniversary, we produced a 30-minute podcast looking back at the historic blaze that forever changed how the East Bay looks at wildfires.
Posted inHealth & Environment
The shrubs across the street nearly cost him his home insurance
It’s not yet common, but in high-risk fire neighborhoods, Oakland hills residents may find that keeping their home insurance depends on how well their neighbors prune their property.
Posted inHealth & Environment
Red flag warnings: What they are and why they matter
Oakland fire officials and Bay Area weather experts say getting residents to take the alerts seriously is an ongoing challenge—and has never been so important.
Posted inHealth & Environment
Oakland’s fire-fighting goats are finishing up their seasonal work
The herds, which are managed by the city of Oakland and East Bay Regional Park District fire departments, are nearly done with their annual munch-fest, which helps clear dry grass and debris from the East Bay hills.
Posted inHealth & Environment
As mass tree death worsens, East Bay parks get $10M for removal
About 1,500 acres of trees in the the East Bay Regional Park District have been affected by a new die-off pattern that’s seen as dangerous during fire season.
Posted inHealth & Environment
Is a new regional agency the answer to the East Bay’s wildfire woes?
Advocates in the fire-prone hills want Oakland, Berkeley, and other agencies to team up to create a prevention plan for the region. Cost could be an obstacle.
