Dozens of trees were removed from the Lab’s hillside location in 2025. Will that continue this year?
My role is to make sure that everyone who comes to the lab has a safe place to be and they’re able to go home at the end of the day.
The biggest external threat to the Lab is a wildfire. The Lab is in a wildland urban interface. That’s an area where vegetation and buildings are mixed together, and they’re subject to significant wildfire threat. Last year we had the opportunity to do a lot of hazard tree removal that was focused on the Lab’s evacuation routes such as on Cyclotron Road and Blackberry Gate. This year, we are continuing that effort by concentrating on vegetation removal around the 12 Lab buildings that have been designated as Wildfire Temporary Refuge Buildings. Those are buildings we’ve identified that will provide the greatest level of protection should we need to shelter people in the event of a fast moving wildfire that threatens the Lab.
And removing vegetation is not just a best practice at the Lab. The state is reviewing legislation that will require the removal of vegetation around structures in areas prone to wildfires. It is known as Zone 0, five feet all around buildings in wildfire prone areas. Zone 0 will have strict regulations on what type of vegetation and other items can be in that zone for both residential and commercial structures. The City of Berkeley has already adopted this approach.
Currently the existing zones around structures were between 30 and 100 feet, so defining a new zone, also known as the ember resistance zone, is a big change. There are those who support the new zone and others who want to focus on improving the building itself to withstand spreading embers.
Over the 90 plus years that the Lab has been in operation, vegetation has been planted both by humans and by nature. Some of it is considered hazardous, especially those trees such as eucalyptus which naturally don’t occur in this area. By removing that vegetation around buildings, we better protect the structures, which in turn better protects all of our people. Once we see what legislation the state enacts, we can plan for additional vegetation removal.
Are there any other changes for this year?
We will be looking at lithium-ion batteries at the Lab. We use them in so many devices, plus they are the power source for micro mobility devices such as e-bikes. There are hazards associated with these batteries, and we want to address those hazards before we have a significant incident.
Lithium ion batteries can go into a state known as thermal runaway where the battery continues to heat up. At some level it can give off battery gases which may be toxic or flammable. The heat can spread to other battery cells, becoming a self-propagating reaction generating heat. Become familiar with information on how to properly dispose of lithium batteries, and coming soon, information on what to do if you suspect one is unstable.
There will also be a focus on operational permits. This effort is initially focused on laboratory ovens and furnaces, as well as assembly gatherings of 50 or more people. There are niches permit areas also such as a vendor, such as a construction company, needing access to our fire hydrants to obtain large amounts of water.
What is the role you want everyone at the Lab to play this year to aid in fire safety?
If there is an emergency, if there is something that requires urgent attention, there’s something you’re not sure about, call us to let us know. The Site Operations Center is here 7/24 at 510-486-6999.
My biggest challenge is people are reluctant to report emergencies or potential problems. It is a combination of people not recognizing when an emergency is an emergency, and not feeling empowered to make decisions. If you see something, say something. If you call 911, stay on the line to provide information. If it was an accidental call to 911, and that happens a lot, don’t hang up. Stay on the line and say it was an accidental call. If you hang up, first responders will need to come to the location as a precaution, so just stay on the line and let them know it was a
