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There Are Better Ways to Reduce Fire Risk to Homes

FEMA on mitigating interface fire risk

doc-titleThe East Bay Hills Fire
quoteSeveral of the risk factors that make an area susceptible to an interface fire can be mitigated, to reduce the level of risk: * Use of drought-tolerant and fire-resistant landscaping. * Fuel control measures including controlled burns [risky], clearing of dead wood, cutting tall grass and brush, grazing to thin vegetation in particular areas and similar measures. * Brush clearance areas around structures and fuel breaks in strategic locations. * Use of fire resistant roof and exterior wall materials. * Adequate access roadways for emergency vehicles and exit roadways for residents. * Water storage and distribution systems adequate for fire protection purposes. * Development of exposure protection systems, incorporating technologies such as class A foam.
sourceFEMA's 1991 report on the Oakland firestorm