This is a topic that people don't want to think about, but not talking or thinking about it, doesn't make it disappear. The topic is FIRE.
By the year 2014, old, wood shake roofs MUST be replaced. Gone. History. As everyone in the nation knows, Lake Arrowhead and all of the San Bernardino Mountains have had their share of fires; the last being OCTOBER 2007, The Grass Fire. 
Though that fire, or prior fires during the last decade, may not have been caused by shake roofs, old shake-roofs are like matchsticks waiting to ignite. When most of our charming mountain cabins (homes) were constructed way-back-when, these shakes roofs fit the "mountain style." However, there's no style worth risking your house being in harms way during a blazing, Southern California fire.
On September 23, 2008, The SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS' meeting addressed the shake roof issue. They proposed that by the 2014, home owners within the FIRE OVERLAY SAFETY AREA must have their old, shake roofs replaced by roofs with a minimum Class A fire rating roof.
This ORDINANCE WILL become effective by January 2009. If you'd like to attend future meetings regarding this issue or others, CLICK HERE for dates and times.
For your Lake Arrowhead Real Estate needs, CALL: KAT DELONG, REALTOR.
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Kat, Thanks for the update. I'm in favor of this and anything else they can think of to lessen the fire threat, like removing beetle infested pine trees.
Bill Roberts
Bill: I am with you! When I started in Real Estate (97) I KNEW then IF something wasn't done about the infestation of beetles, it was going to catastrophic to this area. Thanks so much for your support and stopping by.
Yuk...my mom has shake roof and after awhile it looks all ugly...and yes, not to mention the fire igniter
Woo-Hoo: Do you have a lot of shake roofs in Hawaii? Here, it seemed to be the "in thing" for a long time. Ugly they get...and dangerous too.
Kat,
Thanks for the update on this, it is so important for homeowners to make these changes because of the high level of fire hazard in the mountains. So glad my home has fire retardant roofing! I don't think my pocket book could handle any more payouts! ;)
Michelle: For sure the cost of a new roof (fire reisistant) is not going to be easy on the pocket book....nor would replacing a home. Thanks for stopping by!
WOW I didn't even think these existed ANYWHERE anymore... LOL!
They sure wouldn't last here in Florida :-D
Katrina
Katrina: Well, we're pretty slow on things here in this state....sigh. Realtors here are complaining about this ordinance and the expenses to sellers. But the expense of a roof verses homes and lifes is a cheap price to pay to BE SAFE. I'M FOR 100% and wish it would go into effect sooner!