July Fourth in Berkeley: Skip fireworks; hillside roads closed
Starting Friday at 5 a.m., Grizzly Peak Boulevard, Panoramic Way and Prospect Street will close to non-residents for 24 hours.
Help keep Berkeley safe over the July Fourth holiday by not using fireworks within the city, especially in the hills.
Fireworks are illegal in Berkeley and many surrounding cities and can cause severe injuries and start fires.
These explosives, sparklers and more pose particular risks in the Berkeley Hills, where dry plants and shrubs can fuel fast-spreading fires.
To help better protect the hills, certain streets will be closed for 24 hours starting Friday at 5 a.m. with access limited mostly to residents in cars, on bikes and on foot:
- Grizzly Peak Boulevard from Centennial Drive to Skyline Boulevard
- Panoramic Way
- Prospect Street
Celebrate the Fourth of July in a way that works best for your household while also helping keep Berkeley safe for everyone.
Also closed: Lawrence Hall of Science, UC Botanical Garden
To reduce fire risk and traffic, many hillside sites will be closed Friday, including the Lawrence Hall of Science, the UC Botanical Garden, UC Berkeley campus hiking trails and the steam trains at Tilden Regional Park.
No stopping will be allowed on Grizzly Peak, where all turnouts will be closed.
The closed portion of Grizzly Peak Boulevard will remain open only to the following types of transportation to ensure emergency vehicles have quick access:
- Residents of Grizzly Peak and nearby neighbors in cars, on bikes or on foot
- Ride-share vehicles
- Delivery vehicles
Through traffic to non-residents will be stopped at:
- Centennial Drive, between Stadium Rim Way and Grizzly Peak
- Claremont Avenue, Fish Ranch Road and Grizzly Peak
- Lomas Cantadas and Grizzly Peak
- South Park Drive and Grizzly Peak
- Skyline Boulevard and Grizzly Peak
All closures will be coordinated in partnership with UC Berkeley, the city of Oakland, the East Bay Regional Park District and Alameda County.
Fireworks are illegal throughout Berkeley
Fireworks — including those marketed as "safe and sane" — are not allowed in Berkeley.
Nor are they allowed in East Bay regional parks including Tilden and McLaughlin Eastshore State Park.
You may be liable for fires, injuries and property damage caused by your fireworks. If you have or find fireworks, bring them to any Berkeley fire station for disposal.
If you see fireworks being used, please report them to the Berkeley police non-emergency line at 510-981-5900.
Celebrate safely, for yourself and our community.
More resources
- Turn in fireworks to any Berkeley fire station
- Sign up for AC Alert to receive emergency alerts
- Visit FireSafe Berkeley to learn how to protect your property and community
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