Cut back your roses? Berkeley sets new rules for its most wildfire-prone areas

Homes in Berkeley, California, on 28 March. Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images

The city of Berkeley has a new message for residents of its most fire-prone neighborhoods: it’s time to cut back your gardens.

People living in the most high-fire-risk areas of the California city will be required to remove plants and other flammable materials close to their homes as part of strict new wildfire safety rules the city moved to adopt this week.