Experts identify Crocker-Amazon and Daly City as San Francisco’s only high fire risk zones
San Francisco: So, it turns out that even with its cool, foggy weather, there are a couple of spots in the city that are at risk for wildfires. Experts have flagged Crocker-Amazon and parts of Daly City as moderate to high fire risk areas.
When fire season hits, most folks in San Francisco feel pretty safe. The Diablo winds usually hit harder in the East Bay and North Bay, where we know which areas are more likely to catch fire. But remember that brush fire back in October 2020? It broke out on Sign Hill and threatened homes nearby. Two teens later admitted to starting it. There was also a brush fire near Lake Merced in 2019.
Illegal fireworks have sparked small fires in the city too, like the one in Corona Heights Park in July 2022, which was visible from all over. Thankfully, there aren’t many dry, grassy areas in San Francisco, so these fires were quickly controlled.
The Chronicle recently pointed out some vulnerable spots, including Lake Merced. Cal Fire has only marked a small section of the city as “high risk,” but it’s not well documented. The hilly part of Crocker-Amazon is where the risk is highest, and it spills over into Daly City. One homeowner, John De Groot, mentioned that his insurance company made him get a new roof because of this risk assessment.
Interestingly, San Francisco doesn’t have any areas labeled as “very high risk” by Cal Fire, unlike places like Pacific Palisades in LA. Plus, there’s no fire risk map for San Francisco on Cal Fire’s website. The Chronicle dug up an old map from 2008 that shows some elevated fire risk areas, but it’s hard to find online.
So, while insurance companies are taking note, it seems like San Francisco is generally safe from fire risks. Unless, of course, we have another big earthquake that breaks gas lines and water mains like in 1906. But that’s a whole different story!
Photo via Google Street View
