Clearing weeds should be top priority in preparing for fire season

Posted: 8:09 am, May 4, 2016 by Guest Contributor

City manager urges citizens to adhere to weed abatement regulations

Atascadero City Manager Rachelle Rickard.

–The beautiful and warm springtime weather we’re having reminds us that summer is once again rapidly approaching and fire season will soon be here. We live in one of the most beautiful areas of California, which is unfortunately also considered a high fire hazard environment, influenced by weather, fuel, topography, as well as the human factor.

We were very fortunate to receive a good amount of much needed rainfall this year, which helped to provide us with lots of lovely spring wildflowers and green vegetation. Fire Chief Kurt Stone indicates that as the hot and dry summer air which is common to our area becomes established, all of the vegetation and plant material will quickly dry out and become extremely flammable. In addition, our local topography including steep hillsides can influence very dangerous fire behavior. Residents are strongly encouraged to get an early start on weed abatement. Clearing weeds is a top priority in preparation for the fire season.

The Atascadero City Fire Department’s mission, through its hazard reduction program, is to eliminate vegetative growth and/or refuse which may constitute a fire, life or safety hazard. The Department conducted initial field inspections in April to identify properties with such hazards. Letters have been mailed to these property owners who have until June 1, 2016 to complete the required abatement. If the hazard abatement has not been completed by the deadline, the City’s contractor will be authorized to complete the abatement for the residents, and the owner’s property tax bill will include the contractor’s cost of abatement plus a 150-percent administrative fee.

Chief Stone indicates that springtime and early summer weather can vary greatly from year to year, and if we have additional rainfall it may unfortunately be necessary to cut weeds more than once. However, it is still important that the fire hazards be reduced early in the season, and that everyone keeps those hazardous conditions reduced throughout the summer months.

The fire department also recommends that weed and brush abatement be completed during the morning hours, as cutting weeds later in the day poses a greater fire danger. Other fire hazard protections to keep in mind include regular cleaning of roofs and gutters, maintaining vegetation to include a minimum clearance of 100 feet around structures and 10 feet on driveways, and keeping a minimum of 30 feet between any structure and brush. It’s important to know that brush that’s 8 feet tall can easily produce flames of 50 feet or more.

Let’s all do our part to help keep our families and fellow residents safe this summer by eliminating any hazardous fire conditions early in the season.

As always, if you have any questions about this or any other topic related to the city, please feel free to contact me at [email protected].

Weed Abatement in Paso Robles services is offered by Ant’s Tractor Mowing. Ant’s Tractor Mowing serves the entire Central Coast.

Ant’s Tractor Mowing
330 Old Settler Road
Paso Robles, CA 93446
(805) 203-0669