Washoe County Fire Closures and Berkeley's Ember Rules — September 26, 2026

A quieter news day. Northern Nevada schools are settling the calendar after weeks of fire closures, Berkeley is talking through how a city gets ready for wildfire, and Pennsylvania regulators are taking comments on a steel plant's air permit.

Washoe County schools won't add days for fire closures

The Washoe County School District says school closures caused by recent wildfires won't require extra instructional days, the Reno Gazette-Journal reports. The Nevada Department of Education said contingency days already built into the calendar will cover the lost time, so the last day for most students stays June 4, 2027.

Wildfires have burned thousands of acres across Northern Nevada since classes began. Eight schools closed during the first week because of the Bug Fire, and nearly every district school closed for two days because of the Hawk Fire, with about a dozen closing for a third day. TMCC Magnet High School is the exception and will attend May 27 and 28, 2027.

Berkeley weighs how a city prepares for wildfire

At a Berkeley event on Thursday, researchers, officials and innovators discussed what they called the paradox of urban wildfire readiness, SFGATE reports. There are four ways to save a home from wildfire: landscaping, defensible space, hardening the home with certain materials, and, as a last resort, firefighter response. None has proven fully effective against flying embers, shifting winds and human behavior.

The discussion touched on Berkeley's new "Zone 0" rule, which took effect in January and requires homeowners in high-risk areas such as Grizzly Peak and Panoramic Hill to clear combustible vegetation and materials from within five feet of their homes, decks and stairs. Berkeley Assistant Fire Chief Colin Arnold described the fear response he sees during enforcement visits, and former Moraga-Orinda fire chief Dave Winnacker attributed it to the lack of guarantees.

Pennsylvania steel plant air permit up for comment

Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection has set a November 4 hearing, if one is requested, on reissuing the Title V air quality permit for the NLMK Pennsylvania Farrel Steel Plant in Mercer County, according to the PA Environment Digest. The hearing would be held at the DEP's Northwest Regional Office in Meadville at 10 a.m.

Comments are due October 26 and go to the DEP Northwest Regional Office. Permit hearings like this are one of the few direct ways residents can weigh in on what a nearby facility puts into the air.

Sources

• Wildfire closures won't add days to school year, WCSD says — Reno Gazette-Journal
• Berkeley: Researchers Shed Light On The Paradox Of Urban Readiness For Wildfires — SFGATE
• PA Environment Digest Blog: DEP Sets Nov. 4 Hearing (If Requested) On Reissuance Of Title V Air Quality Permit For The NLMK Pennsylvania, LLC Farrel Steel Plant In Mercer County — PA Environment Digest (via Europe Says)

Canairy aggregates publicly reported air-quality and wildfire news and summarizes it in plain English, with links to the original sources. This is educational information, not medical or emergency advice. In a wildfire or air-quality emergency, follow guidance from local authorities.