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<br />116 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />5.12.9 Wildland/Urban Conflagration <br />The risk of urban wildfire in California has increased dramatically as a result of <br />population growth on fire prone hillsides. The danger is not just limited to rural areas. <br />In fact, one of the costliest wildfires in U.S. history took place just eight miles north of San <br />Leandro in 1991. That fire caused $3 billion in property damage, caused 25 deaths, and <br />resulting in the lost of some 3,000 homes in the Oakland and Berkeley Hills. <br />Fortunately, the risks are less severe in the San Leandro hills. Within the San Leandro <br />hill area are approximately 1,500 homes valued between $700,000 and over $1,000,000. <br />The area east of I-580 is classified as a “moderate” fire hazard by the California <br />Department of Forestry. The lack of a dense tree canopy is a mitigating factor as are the <br />relatively wide streets, gentle slopes and grassland vegetation. Nonetheless, the city lies <br />adjacent to thousands of acres of potentially flammable coastal scrub and forested open <br />space. There are also a number of locations in the city, particularly along San Leandro <br />Creek, with large eucalyptus trees and other highly flammable vegetation and <br />combustible litter. The Uniform Fire Code specifies additional requirements that are