WHEN FIRE IS IN SEASON...

Weeds are fuel for fire. Being prepared, particularly with fire season around the corner, helps mitigate damage and loss. Living in the desert as we do, we know that fire spreads very quickly in areas of weed and brush.

Below are some guidelines for weed abatement and some suggestions on how they help with regular maintenance of your property:

•Many of us have easements around our properties that we are responsible to maintain. These areas are also important to keep clear of any weeds or dead vegetation. If you need help with this task, there are local companies that provide weed abatement services for a competitive price and advertise in the Services section of The Daily Press. This regular maintenance will keep the fire fuel on your property to a minimum at all times.

•Once you have taken down all weeds, shrubs, and grasses, they must be removed from the property along with any dead vegetation and/or tree trimmings. This can be done by purchasing a burn permit available from the Apple Valley Fire Protection District at a cost of $10.00. This permit can be used for a complete year from the date of purchase.

•If you have any combustible refuse such as garbage, furniture, tires, or construction materials, they must be removed from the property and be properly disposed of at your local landfill. Please note that there is usually a fee based on the type of material to be disposed.

Other fire/safety precautions that can be taken to protect your property are:

•Keep all firewood neatly stacked away from buildings/structures. This also applies to wood and lumber products of any kind.

•Tree and/or shrub branches should be kept ten feet (10’) away from chimney areas.

•Wood burning flues and chimneys must have an approved spark arrestor.

•Clear all leaves and pine needles from roof tops.

When fire is in season -- keep weeds out of season.

How?

By maintaining your property and keeping it cleared of annual weeds, shrubs and grasses. If you take the additional fire/safety precautions mentioned here, your property can be better protected from fires year-round.

Note: If your property is in a soil erosion area, mowing is the preferred method of weed abatement. Disking, scraping, or other major soil disturbances and/or removal of native vegetation, such as greasewood, sagebrush, etc. should not be construed as fire hazard abatement. These types of activities are strongly discouraged because they tend to leave the soil in a state more vulnerable to wind erosion and upset the desert ecology.

BURN QUEST