Every year wildfires burn millions of
acres of forests and brushlands. The
fire that consumed the Oakland Hills
area of northern California in
October of 1991, considered to be the
second-worst fire disaster in U.S. history,
destroyed thousands of homes on
hillsides overgrown with flammable
native vegetation. Many of these
homes were roofed with western red
cedar shakes and shingles, a premium
roof covering that offers good looks,
excellent thermal insulation, durability,
and wind and hail resistance.
Unfortunately, cedar roofing is often
criticized for its potential flammability
in connection with massive wildland
fires. In fact, fire officials and the
press have tried to place blame squarely
on the shoulders of cedar roofing,
claiming that wood roofing contributes
significantly to the spread