[akiddoc]

My house burned to the ground in the 1991 Oakland Hills fire. The hills were full of bushes, pine and eucalyptus. These are the worst propagators of urban wild fires. Oak and redwood are slower to catch fire and not as explosive. They are preferred by the city of Oakland. 

We rebuilt on the same lot. We get inspected every spring to be sure we are in compliance with vegetation management. If you fail the first inspection you have to pay a $400+ fee for the second inspection. It ends up on your property tax bill if you resist paying. Getting permission to cut down large trees in the Oakland Hills seems to be pretty easy. Our neighbors just removed several.

[akiddoc]

My house burned to the ground in the 1991 Oakland Hills fire. The hills were full of bushes, pine and eucalyptus. These are the worst propagators of urban wild fires. Oak and redwood are slower to catch fire and not as explosive. They are preferred by the city of Oakland. 

We rebuilt on the same lot. We get inspected every spring to be sure we are in compliance with vegetation management. If you fail the first inspection you have to pay a $400+ fee for the second inspection. It ends up on your property tax bill if you resist paying. Getting permission to cut down large trees in the Oakland Hills seems to be pretty easy. Our neighbors just removed several.