The Oakland-Berkeley Hills Fire: Lessons For The Arborist    (View PDF)

Pavel Svihra

Abstract: As the pressure of people wishing to live in urban forests continues to grow, the fire problem becomes more serious for these residents. The most recent firestorm in the densely populated Oakland-Berkeley Hills in the San Francisco Bay Area killed 25 people and destroyed 3,011 houses. Damage is currently estimated at $1.5 billion. Vegetation management is an important factor for fire speed control and a structure's survival. Effective silvicultural and arboricultural practices can change fire hazardous landscapes into safer ones in which flame intensity can be controlled by firefighters and residents have a chance to escape.

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https://doi.org/10.48044/jauf.1992.050