Can yards in the Berkeley Hills be both fire-safe and beautiful?

"With its canopies of eucalyptus, Monterey pines and sculptural oaks whose limbs arch over houses and roads alike, vines of wisteria and jasmine and foundation plantings like camellias, rhododendron and roses snuggled right up against houses, the Berkeley Hills has become synonymous with a multi-layered and often overgrown landscape that spills from one property to another, blurring boundaries. The new wildfire safety rules, banning nearly everything combustible within 5 feet of buildings, or Zone Zero, go into effect for 1,400 homes in the hills."

"After years of record-breaking California wildfires, Berkeley will soon start requiring some hills residents to clear plants, shrubs and most other flammable materials from the 5 feet around their homes called Zone 0 by fire experts. The new rules are meant to prevent embers from igniting, catching houses on fire and spreading structure-to-structure into downhill neighborhoods. The state is planning to finalize similar rules this year and begin enforcement in 2029."

The Berkeley Hills feature dense, multi-layered vegetation including eucalyptus, Monterey pines, oaks, wisteria, jasmine, camellias, rhododendron and roses that often spill across property lines. New wildfire safety rules require removal of nearly all combustible materials within five feet of buildings — Zone 0 — for about 1,400 hillside homes, with similar statewide rules planned and enforcement expected in 2029. The rules aim to stop ember ignitions and prevent structure-to-structure fire spread into downhill neighborhoods. Some residents are already adopting defensible-space practices using fire-resistant plants, spacing, fuel reduction and noncombustible materials, and local programs offer homeowner design options.

Read at www.berkeleyside.org