Vegetation now banned near 1,400 Berkeley Hills homes. Here's what to know

"City officials modeled them in part after Cal Fire's fuel management recommendations. As happened in firestorms like the 1923 Berkeley Hills fire and the 1991 Tunnel Fire, embers can travel blocks and even miles; when they ignite flammable material next to buildings, and the buildings catch, the new burning structures spew embers blocks and miles further in a chain reaction that can quickly blow past firefighters' ability to slow it down."

"Berkeley's Zone Zero wildfire safety requirements are now in effect. The strict new guidelines ban nearly anything flammable from within 5 feet of about 1,400 homes in the Berkeley Hills. The City Council approved final language for the new guidelines last month and inspections will begin in May. The rules, fiercely opposed by some hills residents, are meant to create defensible space around homes and other buildings to slow the progress of the next wildfire to menace the city."

Berkeley's Zone Zero wildfire safety requirements are now in effect, banning nearly anything flammable within five feet of about 1,400 Berkeley Hills homes. The City Council approved the final language and inspections will begin in May. The rules aim to create defensible space around structures and were modeled in part on Cal Fire's fuel management recommendations. Ember-driven spread during past firestorms shows how embers can ignite nearby combustible materials and trigger cascading structure-to-structure ignitions. The measures place rigorous standards on trees, shrubs and vegetation near buildings rather than outright bans. The rules have generated fierce opposition among some hills residents.

Read at www.berkeleyside.org