Shake charring but no evidence of fire

This sure looked like charring. I scratched some of it away with my fingernail. It was only along the edges of the shakes and looked like what you might see if there had been a fire in the attic area. The attic interior beneath this area showed no evidence of fire at all.

It was only along this section of roof, a shed roof measuring about 20 feet long where it met the gable.

Looks like it was painted blue at one time. ? Any chance they used fire to soften the paint and then scrubbed it. It looks the bluest where it couldn’t be reached IMO.

Not paint. No, it’s charring I’m pretty sure.

Not doubting you. You where there. I just see a lot of blue under the flashing, deep in the grain of the wood, and under the edges of the shakes. Maybe it just looks blue on my monitor. Good luck with it.

Some cedar shakes are pressure-treated with a boric acid-like chemical fire-retardant, which might result in this colorization. I’ve also seen roofs that were treated after the fact with a sprayed-on chemnical retardant that makes the shakes/shingles look yellow. However, I don’t really know what’s going on. I recommend that you describe the area and the discoloration for your clients, and then recommend that they get a second opinion. Personally, because of issues with wood roofs and particularly when they’re installed on spaced sheathing, I will never endorse them and always recommend a specialist evaluation.

The odd thing is htat they were charred just at the base of each shake, where hot air might escape from the attic area. I’m recommending a roofer certify the roof anyway. It’s 20-year old shakes w/missing cap and ridge shakes.

I’m sure its not because you would have mentioned it but sure looks like a wooden match in the photo peeking out from the upper row of shakes.

That’s exactly what it looks like in the photo, but it’s a pine needle.