OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) — Friday afternoon’s Keller Fire in Oakland was relatively small but it had a big impact. The fire burned 15 acres in the densely occupied Oakland Hills, threatening homes as it climbed uphill, eventually damaging two houses.
ABC7 News reporter Leslie Brinkley delved into how well the emergency alert system worked.
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Oakland Hills resident Brady Tymn says his cellphone was lighting up from all of the alerts.
“I started getting alerts on my phone when I was in the car about the Oakland fire,” said Tymn.
The Keller Fire burned land next door to Tymn’s home in Oakland Friday. Those alerts told people to evacuate immediately with the system working as intended.
“I think it’s vital to have that kind of a service because it lets you know like I said I was not home so it alerted me to the fact that there was imminent danger in my neighborhood so I think it’s a great tool to have,” said Tymn.
Oakland’s Emergency Services Manager Jessica Feil pushed the button to send out the alerts Friday.
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Video shows the intense moments as the fire spread quickly near I-580 in the Oakland Hills, burning dangerously close to homes.
“For the push alerts, everyone gets them unless they intentionally on their phones opt out of getting government notifications,” said Feil.
She suggests also opting in to get prevention messages and updates as well as adding relatives addresses and workplaces.
She said residents should also know their zone.That information is available to most Bay Area residents on protect.genasys.com. You just log on, and type in an address. Memorize that zone number.
“We think it’s incredibly important for residents to know their zone before something happens,” said Feil.
“Understand the area you live in so knowing your zone and if the evacuation orders are applicable to you or your family. It’s an effort to clear the language barrier and integrate with different applications people use on their mobile devices,” said Alameda County Emergency Manager Brentt Blaser.
So part of preparedness is a go bag and creating defensible space. And the other part is checking your zone and updating your settings.
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