In light of the discussion on Palisades fires.

The city of Berkeley has passed the most stringent law in the state applying to certain hilltop residents

A banning of all vegetation within five feet of residence

Fines of up to $500 per day and possible misdemeanor charges for non compliance

What say you, conservatives?

https://www.berkeleyside.org/2025/04/14/berkeley-wildfire-defensible-space-ember-initiative-hills

By any chance, is the Berkeley Fire Chief's name, Kristen?

Wiccan Fire Priestess Non gender

bear2034 said:

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By any chance, is the Berkeley Fire Chief's name, Kristen?

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I just googled Berkeleys fire chief. Holy sh*t. Trump would be pissed.

I have a hard time that 5 feet makes a hill (sorry) of beans difference. In the 2 major San Diego fires that caused 100s of homes destroyed (Witch and Cedar) the embers were travelling an estimated 2 miles. Moreover, the small lots in Berkeley (like in parts of the Palisades) means that homes will ignite each other. Now every little bit helps but that feels fairly meh....

More controversial (but perhaps even more important) would be to prohibit on street parking in the hills (Laughs out loud) because people are likely to die as streets become clogged and it is impossible to get more than one lane of traffic out. I would love to be a fly in the wall as Berkeley tabletops an evacuation from a fire that say starts say around the old Nike base and is blown by a bad diablo - ESPECIALLY if it occurs at night.

Do I need to cut this bad boy down?

It treats all biomass as the same but mature trees are a column of water not kindling . Houses are.much more flammable. Most of what survived the Palisades was trees. Things like mulch, firewood, propane tanks chaparral are more dangerous

Also I don't see how the fire department has the right to levy $500 a day fines over landscape assets. Too authoritarian.

bearister said:

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Do I need to cut this bad boy down?

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Weren't you planning to burn it in a series of small prescribed burns anyway?

socaltownie said:

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I have a hard time that 5 feet makes a hill (sorry) of beans difference. In the 2 major San Diego fires that caused 100s of homes destroyed (Witch and Cedar) the embers were travelling an estimated 2 miles. Moreover, the small lots in Berkeley (like in parts of the Palisades) means that homes will ignite each other. Now every little bit helps but that feels fairly meh....

More controversial (but perhaps even more important) would be to prohibit on street parking in the hills (Laughs out loud) because people are likely to die as streets become clogged and it is impossible to get more than one lane of traffic out. I would love to be a fly in the wall as Berkeley tabletops an evacuation from a fire that say starts say around the old Nike base and is blown by a bad diablo - ESPECIALLY if it occurs at night.

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How about logging some of the trees next to the roadway? Same thing for Orinda, Moraga, Mt. Tam.

Healthy looking girl appears like she needs more time before harvest