Environment

Emergency preparedness courses double in attendance after fires

Dena Gunning, the coordinator for the Oakland Fire Department’s emergency preparedness program, usually plans for 20 to 25 people to attend a training. Around 50 people registered for last Wednesday’s class. “We have a full house tonight,” said Gunning as she carried in chairs and tried to squeeze them into a kindergarten classroom at the Redwood Heights Recreational Center. She placed a few chairs at the edge of the door. “This is a tight room,” she said scanning the room…

Oakland’s firefighters help contain massive Napa wildfires

As the strike team drove into the Sonoma valley early Monday morning, the glow of fires surrounded them on both sides of Highway 12. Oakland Battalion Chiefs James Bowron and Nicholas Luby headed a team of engines from Oakland, Hayward, Fremont and Alameda County, and they listened to radio traffic describing the rapid spread of fire through the wine country and people needing immediate rescue.

Oaklanders voice opinion about new A’s stadium at Peralta College meeting

More than 100 community members attended a rare standing room-only meeting of the Peralta Community College Board of Trustees on Tuesday night. The unusually large crowd came out to share their opinions about the proposed construction of a new stadium for the Oakland A’s between 8th Street and the 880 freeway on land currently owned by the Peralta Community College District. Tuesday’s meeting was an opportunity for Peralta Community College Board of Trustees to hear public concerns about the project…

Wine country wildfires create hazardous air conditions for Bay Area residents

Wildfires raging throughout California’s wine country have ravaged more than 170,000 acres and killed 21 people so far, with hundreds missing. The blazes are sending a cloud of ash and smoke over the bay, threatening residents with polluted air. On Tuesday, air quality officials issued health and smoke advisories for all nine Bay Area counties, the second such warning issued this fall wildfire season. Residents should avoid outdoor activities, close windows and doors, and avoid using air-conditioning units, according to…