This is something that worries me about my fire-prone California city, where virtually all of the houses are dilapidated junk that would burst into flames immediately if any embers came by. Wood shingle siding is very common and a lot of people think it is "vernacular" even though such siding was added in a second wave of renovations after all these buildings were made. Letting your house fall to bits, complaining to the city whenever anyone tries to improve or replace a home, and calling the weeds growing right up your walls "a garden" are all local hobbies.