I am grateful for the new exciting opportunity to serve as President for the Oakland Firesafe Council. This esteemed organization has been in existence for twelve years providing valuable wildfire preparedness programs for our community. Many thanks to Elizabeth Stage and Doug Mosher for their dedicated leadership over the past two years – myself and the rest of the OFSC team are thrilled they are remaining active members of our Board of Directors.

As a long-time resident of Piedmont Pines and having recently retired from a 20+ year career in Corporate Environmental, Health, and Safety, I am looking forward to working with our Oakland neighbors, our great team at OFSC, other East Bay Firesafe councils and our City Partners to continue building wildfire resilience within our community. The more we can do to understand the risks of wildfire and be prepared as a community, the better the outcome for our families, friends and homes.

WE HAVE CHANGED OUR DONATION PLATFORM

The Oakland Firesafe Council is excited to announce that we have transitioned our donations to Zeffy, a fundraising platform for nonprofits.

This change means more of your donation supports our mission. Unlike our previous platform, Zeffy uses an optional tipping model, helping more funds go directly toward wildfire and emergency preparedness programs.

Current Monthly Donors: ACTION NEEDED!

If you are a recurring monthly donor, your donation will NOT automatically transfer to the new platform. Your recurring donation through our former platform Network for Good will be discontinued – to continue your support, please set up a new recurring donation through our Zeffy page.

Note: When setting up the donation, Zeffy will suggest an optional tip. To direct your full donation to the Oakland Firesafe Council, simply select "Other" and enter $0 for the tip amount.

We are incredibly grateful for our donors! Your support makes it possible for us to provide Wildfire and Emergency Preparedness (WEP) workshops, Firewise and neighborhood preparedness initiatives, Emergency preparedness guides, and our monthly newsletter.

OFSC MEETING (ONLINE)

Wednesday, June 17, 2026

7:00–8:30pm

REGISTER

June Presentation – We are pleased to welcome Ian Moore, Fire Ecologist and Co-Director of the Natural Hazards Team at Spatial Informatics Group (SIG). Ian works on wildfire preparedness recovery, forest resilience, and community risk reduction projects throughout California. He will provide an overview of several open-source wildfire risk modeling programs offered by SIG and discuss how communities can use these resources to better understand and reduce wildfire risk. Meeting AGENDA

We welcome everyone from all Oakland and East Bay communities to observe, participate, and/or get involved.

FOLLOW-UP TO OUR MAY MEETING

• Thank you to Oakland Fire Marshal Darin White for joining us as our May speaker and providing an overview of the upcoming defensible space inspections starting on June 12th! His presentation helped residents better understand what inspectors will be looking for and how to prepare their properties to reduce wildfire risk. Unfortunately there was technical glitch with this meeting's recording, but you can review White's advice on fire safety and vegetation inspections in this Wildfire Safety Presentation from January.

CITY INSPECTION MAILERS HAVE ARRIVED...

DID YOU SPOT US?

We are pleased to see Oakland Firesafe Council included in the mailing. Many thanks to the Fire Prevention Bureau for recognizing OFSC as a valuable resource for residents working to improve wildfire preparedness and create safer neighborhoods.

To learn more about the inspection program and find your inspection date, visit City of Oakland Wildfire District Inspections.

INVASIVE PLANTS AND GRASSES

The Resilient Landscapes Coalition reminds us that species such as French broom, Scotch broom, and invasive annual grasses create highly flammable fuels that can increase wildfire intensity and spread. Removing them now, before summer heat arrives, reduces fuel loads and helps protect homes.

Staying on top of weed control now will pay off in less fuel for potential fires later in the year. To learn more about invasive plant species, how to identify them, and why they are a hazard near homes and in the WUI, visit the Resilient Landscapes Coalition "Plants" webpage and click on the "Invasives" tab.

MULCH

[Photos from @ucanrfirenetwork Instagram post, May 28, 2026]

The WPC serves as the public oversight body for Measure MM funding, providing an estimated $2.7 million annually to support vegetation management activities in Oakland to reduce wildfire risk.