TBS Today, Feb. 5

A bold plan to tighten Berkeley's approach to wildfire prevention is headed to City Council next week — to include a new buffer zone east of Grizzly Peak Boulevard with stringent "ember-free" requirements and home hardening goals (perhaps backed by incentives).

The meeting is an early step along the way to potential adoption in March with more community outreach planned between now and then.

Today's feature is our latest freelance story by Kate Darby Rauch.

Berkeley aims to up wildfire prevention rules after LA fires

“I’m under no illusion that this process will be easy,” said D6 Councilman Brent Blackaby. “We’re asking a lot of the community.”

The Berkeley ScannerKate Darby Rauch

In other news

TBS learned after publication that the woman two young men tried to rob Saturday in broad daylight in a busy Berkeley neighborhood was a mother who was holding her baby.

We updated our story to include those details.

Update: Men try to rob mother holding baby at Berkeley ATM

Berkeley has had about a dozen robberies this year — a steep drop from historic, pre-pandemic averages of about one robbery a day.

The Berkeley ScannerEmilie Raguso

Remember, if you hear a siren in West Berkeley today at noon, it's likely the monthly Bayer siren test.

What it sounds like: "A loud wailing noise that slowly alternated between low and high pitch. The siren is accompanied by a male voice giving instructions to shelter in place or indicating that the siren is in test mode." Read more.

Around the web

UC Berkeley professor emeritus killed in Oakland hit-and-run crash

A UC Berkeley professor emeritus was killed in a deadly hit-and-run crash in Oakland on Monday.

KTVU FOX 2KTVU Staff

In case you missed it

Dissent on the dais as motion from new Berkeley mayor fails

Cecilia Lunaparra criticized some of her colleagues for using the “Trumpist tactic of silencing dissent.” Terry Taplin pushed back hard.

The Berkeley ScannerEmilie Raguso

Berkeley Mayor Adena Ishii on her first month in office

Ishii offered insights on her plans to get critical work done and build unity across divisive issues.

The Berkeley ScannerEmilie Raguso

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