SACRAMENTO – Citing an inspection of his own Brentwood property that exposed serious fire dangers, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger yesterday directed state fire officials to crack down on property owners who don't clear defensible space around their homes and businesses.
It was the first time Schwarzenegger has expanded his annual executive order deploying forces for the wildfire season to include a more aggressive approach to prevention, including “vigorous” inspections, penalties and liens.
“We all have to be vigilant,” Schwarzenegger said. “And if people don't get it, then they have to go in and be fined.”
Owners of property in wild-land areas who refuse to comply with the 100-foot clearance can be penalized up to $500 per violation under existing law.
Generally, property owners are required to clear flammable vegetation within 30 feet. The rules for the remaining 70 feet vary by the type of vegetation and terrain.
Fines are rarely issued by state teams in San Diego County, said Nick Schuler, a Cal Fire captain.
“Our objective is not to issue a fine. Our objective is information,” he said.
About 3,000 properties in the county have been inspected since the first of the year. After the visit, the fire department will return in a couple of weeks to check on compliance, Schuler said.
“It is extremely important that homeowners understand it's their responsibility,” he said. “It helps us protect their homes.”
The state has long had defensible-space policies, supported by arguments that out-of-control brush can fuel a firestorm, risking lives and homes beyond the property line of the offending owner. Some communities have been more aggressive, going as far as bringing in their own crews to do the work and billing the owner.
Schwarzenegger used his own experience with the fire department inspectors to argue his point for more aggressive enforcement.
Schwarzenegger recalled an inspector telling him: “This is terrible. This is a fire hazard all around your house. You're living in the middle of it. Get rid of the tall grass. Get rid of these shrubs. Get rid of those trees. You're going to be in trouble.”
To help offset costs, Schwarzenegger's order would make it easier for owners to contract with vegetation removal companies to sell the debris to biomass or biofuel plants.
More broadly, the order puts in motion the deployment of firefighters and aerial defenses throughout the state with the start of fire season.
