Information on "Fire Safety" Pruning

Fires in the East Bay pose a significant threat to life and property, and the fire season is once again upon us. The Oakland/Berkeley Hills fire of 1991 caused $1.7 billion in property damage and was the nation’s worst urban fire since the San Francisco fire of 1906. Landscape trees and shrubs played a significant role in the growth, intensity, and movement of that fire. The Comprehensive Overview of the Berkeley/Oakland Hills Fire recommends that the risk of wildfire can be reduced by:

• breaking up fire ladders

• limbing trees back from structures

• reducing biomass by thinning crowns

• removing dead trees and shrubs from the landscape

• removing deadwood from live trees and shrubs

Brende & Lamb specializes in balancing the conflicting needs for privacy, fire safety, tree health, and landscape aesthetics. It is possible to improve the fire safety of your property while promoting the health and beauty of your plants.

Please email bl@brendelamb.com to request “Landscaping for Fire Safety” reprinted from the August 1994 issue of Sunset™ Magazine.

Fire Safety Resources

City of Oakland Fire Department

Oakland Fire Department - "Fire Prevention Newsletter"

City of Oakland - Wildfire Prevention Info

City of Oakland Watershed Improvement Program

East Bay Regional Parks District

Alameda County Website (property info)

CDF (California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection)

Diablo Firesafe

Excellent resource booklet for protecting your home with fire safe landscaping: Firescape Booklet

Good recommendations based on good science that explain the risks and suggest solutions.

Local agencies at work- Hill Emergency Forum