Readers asked The Scanner for details after seeing police activity in the neighborhood.

Police responded to the 1400 block of Carleton Street, at Acton Street, just after 7 a.m. after getting a report about an unresponsive man on the sidewalk.

Arriving first responders confirmed that the man was deceased.

There were no obvious signs of foul play, Berkeley police said.

The coroner's office took custody of the body and will now determine cause of death.

Update, 12:45 p.m. The man has been identified as Reed McNally Geritz, 37, of Berkeley, the Alameda County coroner's office said.

Police initially got the report about the suitcase behind some bushes on Shattuck Avenue near Virginia Street at about 12:10 p.m.

"Officers have closed off the street for vehicle and pedestrian traffic" until Explosive Ordnance Disposal team members "can evaluate the object," BPD said just after 1:30 p.m.

Stay tuned for updates.

Update, 3:33 p.m. Police reopened Shattuck Avenue at about 3:30 p.m. after determining that the beeping suitcase was due to a smoke alarm.

The crash happened at about 10 a.m. in the 1800 block of Hearst Avenue at Grant Street, Berkeley police said in response to a Scanner inquiry.

The driver struck the woman at about 50 mph, according to early reports, throwing her 30-40 feet.

(Police had not confirmed that information as of publication time.)

The pedestrian sustained a serious scalp laceration and possible skull fracture, major injuries to her leg and a broken arm, first responders said.

The Berkeley Fire Department rushed her to Highland Hospital for treatment.

A passer-by told The Scanner that Hearst Avenue was blocked off by yellow caution tape for about 50 feet east of the intersection.

Read more about traffic safety in Berkeley.

A small handcart for groceries remained overturned in the crosswalk after the crash.

According to police, the driver, a San Pablo man in his 60s in a 1995 Toyota T100 truck, remained at the scene "and is cooperating."

After publication, police said the driver, who had been heading east, struck the woman in the eastbound crosswalk.

BPD's Traffic Unit is investigating the collision.

This story was updated after publication due to the developing nature of events. Stay tuned for additional updates.

The man caught officers' attention because he matched a robbery suspect's distinctive description but, as it turned out, was not part of that crime, Berkeley police said in response to a Scanner inquiry.

Anthony Earl Johnson, 24, did end up in jail in connection with the loaded gun police found in his backpack, authorities said.

The incident began Saturday shortly before 3 p.m. when a group of people robbed a pedestrian at gunpoint near Strawberry Creek Park in West Berkeley, BPD said.

While officers were looking for the culprits, they spotted a man walking up Dohr Street near Ashby Avenue, about a mile away, who matched one of the suspects in specific ways, BPD said.

The man — Johnson — took off running when he noticed officers, dropping a red backpack as he went, according to police.

Initially, the man tried to evade capture by hiding from police, but he was ultimately detained by officers at gunpoint when he tried to flee the area, authorities said.

Despite the detailed matching description, police later determined that Johnson had not been involved in the robbery, BPD said.

He was arrested in connection with the loaded gun, which he was prohibited from having due to his criminal record, according to booking records.

Johnson is now being held on $200,000 bail at Santa Rita Jail. He is scheduled for arraignment Wednesday.

An electric vehicle battery fire sent "toxic smoke" into a Berkeley neighborhood this week, prompting a shelter-in-place alert for residents.

On Tuesday morning, Berkeley firefighters were dispatched to a car fire near an Elmwood home "after an electric vehicle parked in a driveway experienced a possible battery thermal event related to overcharging," authorities said.

Readers who saw the fire and its aftermath asked The Scanner for details.

When firefighters got to Webster Street and Benvenue Avenue shortly after 10:40 a.m., they found smoke pouring from the car's battery area, the Berkeley Fire Department said.

BFD crews first used a winch on a fire truck to move the car away from a nearby home and other parked vehicles.

A tow company later pulled the car into the intersection to make more room from "nearby exposures," BFD said.

Firefighters put water on the battery pack and car interior to cool the area.

Meanwhile, said BFD, "the battery continued to discharge large amounts of toxic smoke, creating a hazardous-materials concern for both firefighters and nearby residents."

On Thursday, Berkeley Fire Chief Dave Sprague said electric vehicle battery fires like this week's "thermal runaway" event are becoming more common and "create unique challenges for emergency responders."

"Smoke from lithium-ion battery events can present hazards, requiring firefighters to operate with protective equipment and prompting precautions for the surrounding neighborhood," he said. "Unlike traditional vehicle fires, EV battery thermal events may produce toxic smoke, require prolonged cooling, and create contaminated runoff."

On Tuesday, Public Works crews used a vacuum truck "to collect runoff before it could enter storm drains," Sprague said.

And Berkeley firefighters had nearby residents shelter in place and close their windows during the response.

The city's Office of Emergency Services also sent a shelter-in-place alert to advise the neighborhood about the potential hazard, BFD said.

Sign up for AC Alert for official emergency advisories

Berkeley uses Alameda County’s alerting system to send texts, emails and calls during critical incidents.

The Berkeley ScannerCity of Berkeley

Lithium-ion battery safety tips from the city of Berkeley

• Only use the original manufacturers’ chargers, batteries and replacements
• Charge only until the battery is full, then disconnect
• Do not leave charging batteries unattended, including for the day or weekend
• Keep batteries away from heat, cold and flammable items while charging and storing
• Discard distressed batteries (those that are swollen, dented or otherwise damaged) at a drop-off site — not in your garbage can

The city has also noted that fires can "occur spontaneously while charging" and advised anyone noticing signs of fire, such as smoke, gas and sparks, to evacuate the area and immediately call 911.

The ClimateAction Center also has a great roundup of lithium-ion battery safety tips as does the National Fire Protection Association.

Read more about lithium-ion battery fires from Berkeley Lab.

Related coverage

Lithium-ion batteries cause fire at Berkeley apartment building

“They have been pretty prolific about starting fires for us in the last couple years, the Berkeley Fire Department said.

The Berkeley ScannerEmilie Raguso

Lithium-ion battery starts fire at Berkeley Hope Center

The fire sprinkler system “probably saved the whole building,” BFD said.

The Berkeley ScannerEmilie Raguso

2-alarm house fire on Kains Avenue in North Berkeley

There were initial reports that an elderly man was trapped inside the home but firefighters determined that was not the case.

The Berkeley ScannerEmilie Raguso

Sign up for AC Alert, Berkeley’s emergency alerting system, to quickly know what actions to take during emergencies.

When you sign up for AC Alert, include all your phone numbers, email addresses and locations of interest to get critical emergency information wherever you are.

Make sure each member of your household signs up for their own account so each person can receive alerts.

By signing up for AC Alert, which is used throughout Alameda County, you will receive important information about protective actions to take during emergencies, including extreme fire weather, evacuations and orders to shelter in place.

AC Alert will also be used in Berkeley to guide people to the Berkeley Emergency Map and provide details about when the city’s Outdoor Warning System is activated.

Sign up for AC Alert or log in to update your account. 

Keep AC Alert, phone settings updated

Even if you’ve already signed up, check your profile to ensure that your settings reflect the locations in Alameda County you currently care about.

Your job site, kids’ schools, or extended family addresses may have changed since you first signed up.

To ensure that you get federal, state, and other essential warnings, check your cell phone settings. Under “notifications” or “safety and emergency,” enable alerts. Remember in an emergency to keep your phone charged and ready to go.

AC Alert is used only in emergencies

AC Alert is reserved for rare situations when there is an urgent threat or need for the public to take protective actions. Messages will be targeted to people in the areas that need to take action.

In most cases, emergency responders can quickly resolve emergency incidents without the public needing to take action. In other cases, emergency responders on scene can do door-to-door notifications of affected residents and may not use AC Alert.

AC Alert notifications can include:

• Evacuation warnings and orders
• Shelter-in-place information
• Information about extreme fire weather, flooding and fires
• Communication during an emergency about evacuation routes, shelters and transportation
• Other public safety incidents where lives may be at risk

Sign up for AC Alert. Stay informed so you can act to protect yourself and your loved ones in emergencies.

In a prepared statement, police said the young man's injuries "are not believed to be life-threatening." No update on his condition was immediately available.

Word of the incident began spreading on social media feeds Wednesday, prompting several news outlets to ask police about it.

In response, Berkeley police said they had arrested Laisha Ajtun on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and domestic violence.

BPD said its officers had initially responded Wednesday at 12:55 a.m. to an apartment in the 2200 block of Ward Street, near Fulton Street, to investigate a stabbing report.

First responders found a male UC Berkeley student there with a long cut on his back and took him to the hospital for treatment.

But Ajtun was no longer there, Berkeley police said.

BPD attempted to arrest her on the UC Berkeley campus Wednesday but did not find her there, authorities said.

On Thursday, officers located her at her home in downtown Berkeley and arrested her without incident at about 2:15 p.m., BPD said.

Berkeley police credited the University of California Police Department "for their assistance in swiftly locating the suspect."

As of publication time, Ajtun had not yet appeared in public arrest logs, so no additional information was available about her arrest or initial court appearance.

She has no criminal cases listed in Alameda County Superior Court.

UC Berkeley staffers noticed the body shortly after noon in the bushes next to Sproul Hall, just east of Sproul Plaza on the south side of campus.

Authorities said they do not believe the man was affiliated with the university. He appeared to be in his late 40s or early 50s.

No other information about him was immediately available.

There were no obvious signs of foul play, the University of California Police Department said in response to a Scanner inquiry prompted by a reader tip.

The Alameda County coroner's office will now determine the man's cause of death.

As of publication time, his name had not been released.

In its statement Wednesday, UCPD reminded the campus community that counseling services are available, and directed students to UC Berkeley's Student Mental Health site, which can be reached by phone at 510-642-9494.

After hours, counseling services for students can be reached at 855-817-5667.

Drop-in counseling services are also available in the residence halls, UCPD said.

Few details are available but there is no known threat to the community, the University of California Police Department confirmed shortly after publication.

The Berkeley Fire Department was dispatched to the 2400 block of Durant Avenue, the Unit 3 housing complex, shortly before 8 p.m. for what was determined to be a death investigation involving a fall, according to early reports.

Scroll down for updates to the story.

A UC Berkeley spokesman, Adam Ratliff, said details were "still developing."

"The campus has become aware of reports that a person has passed away near our campus housing," he said in a prepared statement. "We are saddened by this tragic news and wish to extend our condolences to this person’s family and friends."

Ratliff said he could not discuss or confirm confidential student matters, in line with privacy laws and university policies.

He referred further questions to UCPD.

Ratliff said counseling services are available to members of the campus community who need support.

Update, April 22: The individual who died has now been identified as William Yi Lu, 21, of Berkeley, the Alameda County coroner's office said Wednesday afternoon.

Lu was a junior majoring in Theater & Performance Studies, UC Berkeley said. He was expected to graduate in May 2027.

Counseling support is being provided to students who may have known Lu.

Also on Wednesday, the University of California Police Department provided the following statement. It appears below in full.

On April 21, 2026, at approximately 7:53 pm, UCPD responded to the Unit 3 Residence Hall Complex for the report that a person had fallen from one of the buildings. BFD also responded to the scene, and the person (a student) was declared deceased at 7:57 pm. The Alameda County Medical Examiner & Coroner office will determine the cause of death.  No foul play is suspected. Next of kin has been notified.  

We wish to remind those on campus that counseling services are available at Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). Visit uhs.berkeley.edu/counseling to learn more. For students, campus counselors at University Health Services (UHS) at the Tang Center are available on a drop-in basis for urgent concerns. Visit the Student Mental Health website or call at (510) 642-9494. When the Tang Center is closed, call the after hours counseling line (855) 817-5667. There are also drop-in counseling services at the residence halls.

This story was updated after publication as additional details became available.

Someone who noticed the pair in a parked car shortly before 11 a.m. Sunday alerted a group of volunteers doing a trash cleanup. The volunteers called police.

Berkeley police and firefighters responded to the scene in South Aquatic Park and found the vehicle in a disabled parking spot.

Berkeley firefighters arrived first and determined that both individuals in the car were deceased.

The Alameda County coroner's office then responded and took custody of the bodies.

There were no clear signs of trauma at the scene, and indications of a possible overdose, according to early reports.

The Berkeley Police Department will now conduct a death investigation and the coroner's office will determine cause of death.

As of Tuesday, the names of the individuals remained unavailable pending further investigation, the coroner's office said.

Langmo gave these remarks about the city budget to the Berkeley City Council last week. They have been reprinted here, slightly edited, by permission.

Good evening and thank you for the opportunity to speak. My name is Amory Langmo — I am the president of the Berkeley Fire Fighters Association, IAFF Local 1227.

Tonight, I want to use my time to speak on the notice of proposed position eliminations I received last Friday. In total, 20 Fire Department personnel have been proposed for elimination (eight firefighters, three apparatus operators, three captains, one staff captain, three non-safety paramedics, one fire marshal and one fire inspector), along with the closure of Fire Station 4 on Marin Avenue.

I want to make the case tonight for why this is an incredibly dangerous position for the city to take.

I also want to highlight something that should not be lost in this conversation: Over the last 18 years, the citizens of Berkeley have given the city a clear mandate to fund public safety.

They passed two dedicated fire department tax measures — Measure GG in 2008 and Measure FF in 2020 — bringing in nearly $16.2 million annually for the fire department.

That is the public telling the city, repeatedly, that they value this service.

Tonight's proposal moves in the opposite direction of that mandate.

Berkeley budget plan: 138 positions slated for cuts

Thirty-eight of the positions are filled and 100 are vacant. The budget plan has been published. It will be presented to the budget committee Thursday.

The Berkeley ScannerCity of Berkeley

These proposed cuts don't just reduce the Fire Department — they roll it back 20 years, in a city that has grown dramatically in every direction since then.

• Call volume over that same period: 11,500 incidents per year → 17,500 incidents per year

The city is growing — and we are moving backward.

• Berkeley is the second most densely populated city in California's top 50 — behind only San Francisco
• We are adding 500 new housing units every year — roughly 1% of total housing stock annually
• Population swells to over 150,000 when UC is in session
• More people. More buildings. More calls. Fewer firefighters.

Station 4 is not a low-volume luxury.

• Engine 4 ran 1,538 calls in 2025
• That includes 28 fires, 966 medical emergencies and 17 cardiac arrests
• 47% of the time citywide, there are multiple simultaneous incidents — units are already committed when the next call drops
• Engines 2, 5 and 6 are already at or above recommended maximum unit-hour utilization
• Station 4's 1,538 annual calls don't disappear when you close it — they get pushed onto companies that are already maxed out

The life-safety math:

• Every minute of delay in cardiac arrest reduces survival by 7–10%
• Modern home fires reach flashover in 6-9 minutes — fire doubles in size every 30-60 seconds
• Traumatic injury responses over 12 minutes are linked to nearly double the fatality rate compared to responses under 7 minutes
• These are not abstractions. Engine 4 responded to 17 cardiac arrests last year alone.

Berkeley looks to reimagine its outdated dispatch center

Proposed changes to Berkeley’s dispatch center would add annual staffing costs of $3 million. The current annual budget is about $6.5 million.

The Berkeley ScannerEmilie Raguso

The city's own experts said add resources — not cut them.

• In 2023, the city paid for an independent Standards of Coverage study
• Citygate's conclusion: Berkeley Fire is organized for "yesterday's mission" and is struggling to meet today's demand
• Their recommendation: Add four-person staffing to at least four of Berkeley's seven engines and both truck companies
• Four-person crews complete fireground tasks 5.1 minutes faster — 25% faster on these life-safety tasks (e.g. search and rescue, throwing ladders, pulling hose, extinguishing fire, forcing entry)
• The city commissioned that study. This proposal is the exact opposite of what it recommended.

‘Failing’ Berkeley fire station alert system needs $1.6M fix

The system “frequently malfunctions which causes delays in the dispatch of responders, or responders completely missing a notification.”

The Berkeley ScannerEmilie Raguso

The bottom line

The citizens of Berkeley have voted twice in 18 years to fund this department.

They have given the city $16.2 million a year and a clear mandate.

I am asking the city to reject the proposed position eliminations and the closure of Fire Station 4, and to direct the city manager to find another path forward before the budget adoption.

The Scanner will periodically publish guest essays from community members on issues of interest or concern. Authors who are not already TBS members will receive a complimentary membership in return. Submit your ideas to TBS.

The Scanner was the only news outlet to report the original hit-and-run crash, April 7, at Adeline and Harmon streets in South Berkeley.

In a statement Friday, Berkeley police said security footage, Flock cameras and witness statements help them find the driver, 41-year-old Hector Juarez-Perez of Berkeley.

Police say the pedestrian, a man in his 20s, was crossing Adeline Street, at Harmon Street, on the north side of the intersection when Juarez-Perez ran into him at 8:10 p.m.

"The impact threw the victim onto the vehicle’s hood, where he was carried for approximately 125 feet before falling back onto the roadway," BPD said. "The driver did not stop and left the victim with significant head and body injuries."

The pedestrian lost consciousness and did not recall the crash, authorities said that night.

(No updates about his condition were available as of publication time.)

Police later identified Juarez-Perez as the driver and got a warrant for his arrest, on suspicion of felony hit-and-run causing injury, records show.

Officers arrested him Wednesday night at his Berkeley home, BPD said.

According to police, building security cameras captured Juarez-Perez coming home in his car after the crash.

But, as of this week, BPD has been unable to find the car, a black 2014 Toyota Camry with a California license plate number of 8GDE554.

The car has "a distinctive strip of tape on the passenger side where the rear bumper seam meets the quarter panel," police said Friday.

BPD asks anyone with information about the Camry's location to call BPD at 510-981-5900.

Hector Juarez-Perez. BPD

As of Friday, Juarez-Perez was still listed in custody at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin with a bail of $50,000.

He had been scheduled for arraignment Friday morning, court records showed.

But, as of publication time, those records had not been updated with the outcome of that hearing — such as whether charges were filed, or if the hearing happened at all.

As of Friday, Juarez-Perez had no criminal cases listed in Alameda County Superior Court.

Limited details were available as of publication time.

Readers asked TBS about the crash, which took place just after 2:30 p.m. at Cedar Street and San Pablo Avenue.

The electric bike rider, a man in his 50s, hit a car and went over his handlebars, according to early reports. He was not wearing a helmet, authorities said.

The rider was conscious at the scene but sustained several visible injuries from the collision.

The man was taken "Code 3," with lights and sirens, to Highland Hospital, the regional trauma center, according to the Berkeley Fire Department.

The driver remained at the scene.

The Scanner has asked Berkeley police for information and will update this story when they respond.

The bones "do not appear to be connected to any crime," UC Berkeley police said Thursday in response to a Scanner inquiry.

On Wednesday, readers who saw the Alameda County coroner's van near campus at about 2:40 p.m. asked The Scanner to learn more.

Thursday morning, authorities from several law enforcement agencies responded to the site — at Bancroft Way and Fulton Street — to take a closer look.

The area is located just west of Edwards Stadium on the west side of campus, where it borders downtown Berkeley and the Southside neighborhood.

This week, one source told The Scanner that the bones had likely been in the ground for some time. They were covered by concrete and found 2 feet underground, according to early reports.

The University of California Police Department said the coroner's office had identified the remains as Native American and referred additional questions to UC Berkeley's Strategic Communications.

On Thursday afternoon, the Alameda County coroner's office said it was no longer involved in the case and directed all questions to UC Berkeley.

Construction at the site, a former surface parking lot, began about a year ago, according to project materials and Cal Athletics.

The new beach volleyball complex is expected to be done this year, within 16-18 months, according to UC Berkeley's Capital Strategies department.

The project, writes contractor Overaa Construction, "will provide a state-of-the-art home for Cal Athletics beach volleyball that also serves as a welcoming gateway to the campus park. The project includes a five-court sand volleyball complex with berm seating for approximately 500 spectators and a 2,900 SF team building featuring mass timber elements, locker rooms and restrooms."

Family honors Steven McCreary, whose bones were found at UC Berkeley

“You’re thankful that you don’t look to see if that’s him every time you pass someone on the road,” said cousin Larramie Pace.

The Berkeley ScannerEmilie Raguso

It's not the first time in recent memory that human remains have been discovered at UC Berkeley.

The skeletal remains of homicide victim Steven McCreary were found in a crawl space at UC Berkeley's Clark Kerr Campus in 2021 — although the discovery did not become public until 2023.

McCreary died by blunt force trauma, campus authorities later said. There have been no updates in the case for some time.

Update, 4:55 p.m. UC Berkeley provided the following statement. It appears below in full.

On April 15th, skeletal remains were discovered at a construction site on UC Berkeley property.  The Alameda County Coroner's Office determined the remains were likely historical Native American remains, and not connected to any crime.  

The campus's Governmental and Community Relations office, which oversees matters related to Native American remains, is coordinating with the California Native American Heritage Commission on this matter.

The university will follow the procedures of the Most Likely Descendant as designated by the Native American Heritage Commission to ensure respectful and appropriate next steps.

"I think it's a beautiful day," said Avery Ryan, 18, a Berkeley High graduate now living in San Francisco. "If I'm going to be sweating and working hard, it might as well be in the rain."

Ryan was among around 300 volunteers who showed up Saturday in the Berkeley Hills to help make the area less susceptible to raging wildfire by cutting back, trimming and removing vegetation; or, in fire management lingo, improving defensible space — a buffer zone around structures that can slow embers and flames.

They dug, hacked, snipped, bagged, shoveled and raked — most of the time in rain.

"This is my jam. I love helping people," said Ryan, who hopes to work in emergency response someday. "I love volunteering, and I also love repetitive physical labor."

The collaborative workday, an annual event, included volunteers from Berkeley Firewise neighborhood wildfire mitigation groups; Mayor Adena Ishii's new BerkeleyCorps program; UC Berkeley's The Berkeley Project, an umbrella community service hub; and the HelpBerkeley nonprofit. Students from Diablo Valley College also joined the troops.

Ryan was a solo volunteer, showing up on her own.

Clearing yards to mitigate the risk of wildfire isn't new for many Berkeley Hills residents who've been required to do this for years.

The focus Saturday was squarely on helping frail, elderly and low-income residents, along with others struggling to complete vegetation management work themselves.

It centered in one of the city's highest wildfire hazard areas, off Grizzly Peak Boulevard near the Tilden park border — a target of the Berkeley Fire Department's strictest wildfire prevention measures, called EMBER, for Effective Measures for Berkeley's Ember Resilience.

Young people are helping keep Tilden park safer from wildfire

Wildfire season has gotten more severe. Civicorps hopes its wildfire mitigation program will help build a pipeline for local youth.

The Berkeley ScannerKate Darby Rauch

In fire department official-speak, the area is called the Grizzly Peak Wildfire Mitigation Area. Berkeley's other highest fire hazard neighborhood is the Panoramic Hills Mitigation Area.

The majority of the property owners who took part in Saturday's event were eligible for the fire department's defensible space financial assistance program, funded by a CalFire grant.

This year, around 24 properties received help, said Michel Thouati, a lead organizer, resident of the area and founder of HelpBerkeley, a nonprofit that primarily helps distribute food, but is adding wildfire prevention to its services.

This is out of an estimated 1,000 properties in the Grizzly mitigation area, he said. A couple of public spaces, including pathways, were also cleaned.

Property owners gave advanced permission for the assistance. Each project area had at least one volunteer site manager.

"To know she needs this and seeing her smile, and her gratefulness. I think that's really important — to help people in need," said Omoeghie Obidah, a Cal psychology major volunteering Saturday, speaking about the elderly homeowner whose yard she worked in, cutting back overgrown brush, bagging weeds.

Obidah was with a group of volunteers from B PsychEd, a campus psychology club.

The experience brought a double benefit, she said.

"I like being in nature. I like hands-on work. It's a nice way to decompress from the stresses of school and the academic bubble. It's also good work for the community."

Thouati called it an almost surprising success. Volunteer turnout surpassed expectations, he said.

"The rain made things harder, some of the sites are on steep slopes. Everybody who came was extremely positive about the whole thing," he said.

"It was a great day. Even in the rain and wind, having people come and pitch in made the mayor so proud," said Melissa Male, spokeswoman for Berkeley Mayor Adena Ishii.

Ishii's new service project, called BerkeleyCorps, helped recruit volunteers. She and some of her staff joined the work, including passing out pizza for lunch.

"Our community shows up for each other, and we look forward to future opportunities to provide ways to engage with their city," Male said.

Brent Blackaby, a Berkeley City Council member who lives in and represents the cleanup area, worked the whole day.

Funding for the cleanup, to cover the cost of tools, gravel, dumpsters and even some paid contractor help, came from a $12,000 2025-26 UC Berkeley chancellor's grant managed by the Firewise groups, as well as other donations, Thouati said.

The Berkeley Fire Department also loans tools, stored in a van that travels to worksites.

Maintaining defensible space is legally required in the state's highest wildfire severity hazard zones, which are set by CalFire, the state fire agency.

Cities can expand local wildfire hazard areas based on data, as Berkeley has. They can also adopt stricter regulations than the state, but they can't go weaker.

Final Berkeley vote on strict new wildfire plan expected tonight

Update: Berkeley officials unanimously approved EMBER shortly after 11 p.m. following hours of public comment on both sides.

The Berkeley ScannerKate Darby Rauch

A major focus of Berkeley's EMBER regulations, which only apply to the Grizzly Peak and Panoramic mitigation areas, is on Zone 0, the area starting at the base of structures extending out 5 feet.

In a swirl of controversy, Berkeley adopted a strict approach to Zone 0 last year, prohibiting most vegetation, with exceptions for mature trees and some case-by-case conditions.

The charged debate spins largely on different views on the flammability of plants, and their role in spreading fire to structures in this zone.

A similar discussion is happening at the state level as the Board of Forestry & Fire Protection labors to set minimum standards for Zone 0, as mandated. Zone 0 as a critically important ember resistant zone is already state law.

But in downpours Saturday, contentiousness around plants and fire seemed far from people's minds, as they hauled piles of branches, pulled up weeds and scooped gravel.

"It's nice to do something that has a definite purpose, like if it's going to help stop wildfires," said Brendan Tonomura, a UC Berkeley senior, who volunteered through the university's Asian American Christian Fellowship.

Ajay Krishnan, a psychology major, said he'd never really considered how people with disabilities deal with living in wildfire-risk areas, until working on a vulnerable resident's yard Saturday.

"It's a beneficial impact," Krishan said. "It's also a unique impact."

Correction: Michel Thouati founded HelpBerkeley, not The Berkeley Project. The story has been fixed.