IRVINE : Roofing Fair Will Focus on Fire Safety

The city will hold a roofing safety fair this weekend in hopes of convincing residents to cover their homes with fire-resistant materials.

The fair, scheduled for Saturday and Sunday at Civic Center Plaza, will bring together more than 60 manufacturers, distributors and sellers of non-combustible roofing materials.

A 1993 city study found that 45% of Irvine homes are topped by wood shake roofs, which city officials consider a fire hazard.

About 17% of residences have wood shakes that have been treated with a fire-retardant coating.

About 38% of homes use such non-combustible roofing materials as tile, the study found.

Most of the wood shake roofs are found in Irvine’s older villages, such as Woodbridge.

Newer developments such as Westpark use terra-cotta tile roofing.

City officials said the fair is a good place for residents to learn about the different types of roofing materials available and to find out the costs of re-roofing.

Citycode enforcement officials will also be on hand to discuss city ordinances and dispense fire safety tips.

The issue of fire safety took on new urgency last year after the Laguna Beach firestorm, which burned about 400 homes.

The fire briefly threatened the Turtle Rock area, prompting evacuations.

No homes in Irvine were burned.

But city officials said the potential for a serious fire exists, especially in neighborhoods with untreated wood roofs.

The city has asked homeowners associations across Irvine to be cooperative if residents seek to remove their wood roofs and replace them with treated coverings.