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Brush management vital with fire season’s
start
Each year San Diego Fire-Rescue responds to over 800 vegetation fires.
I recently spoke with Eddie Villavicencio, Deputy Fire Marshal with the
San Diego Fire-Rescue Department. Now that fire season has begun, the fire
marshals are actively pursuing the education of all citizens. The
following are his answers to many commonly asked questions:
Who is legally responsible for doing brush management?
Per the California Fire Code, persons owning, leasing and/or
controlling land adjacent to such buildings or structures, shall at all
times keep vegetation growth clear of structures.
Which property owner is responsible for trees or bushes over
hanging from a neighbor’s
yard?
If no fire violations exist, per the city attorney’s
office, this is a civil matter. No
department within the city has jurisdiction in these matters.
Where does the fire department get its authority to enforce?
The
California Fire code and the
San Diego Municipal Code.
What’s the penalty if the property owner fails to comply?
Failure to
comply is a misdemeanor criminal prosecution offence with a fine of (max.
fine of $1,000. per day for each violation plus six months in jail) civil
injunction, administrative, abatement, revocation of permits, recordation
of Notice of Violation; civil penalties (maximum of $2,500. per day for
each violation).
Does the city abate or mitigate the properties that fail to comply?
If compliance can not be
achieved, the property will be abated. Because of considerable cost
incurred during brush
abatements, cases are forwarded to the city attorney’s office for
legal action.
When is a tree in violation?
There are only two violations
regarding trees: (1) If the canopy of
the tree is within 10 feet of the chimney outlet.(2) When a large percentage of the tree canopy
is resting on a large percentage of the structure.
How far away from the structure should fire wood be stored?
30 feet
from structures.
Should I install a sprinkler irrigation system to protect my home?
Landscape sprinklers are not
intended as a means of fire protection. Creating a proper
defensible space is the single most
effective measure a home owner can take to protect his home from
the threat of a wildfire.
Homeowners Association / CC&R Regulations vs. the Fire
Code?
The more stringent of the
two applies. The fire department can only enforce the fire code;
the HOA shall enforce
violations of their regulations.
I have a swimming pool, is there anything I can buy or use to get
water from my pool?
Pools
can provide a convenient water source during a wildfire. The
average swimming pool contains
anywhere from 15 to 20 thousand gallons of water, this is equal to
have the water capacity of
30 to 40 fire engines in your back yard. Keep in mind electrical power most likely will be out or being
discounted during a wildfire,
therefore your pool pumps will not be able to operate. The fire
department recommends
obtaining a gas powered water pump. These can be obtained from fire
equipment stores.
Courtesy RB NEWSJournal
May 6, 2004
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