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Reduce the RISK of FIRES in Our Community Should there be a fire in our community, the chances for your family and home to survive may depend upon the amount of defensible space there is. One aspect of defensible space is the area by structures and roadways where the amount of vegetation and combustible items have been reduced and/or altered to slow or stop the progress of fire transmission. Help to create defensible space by removing fire hazards ten feet (10’) from the road and thirty feet (30’) around structures. Remove fire hazards one hundred feet (100’) around structures if the land slope is greater than 15 percent. 15 percent of land slope means a fifteen feet (15’) rise or fall in a one hundred feet (100’) length of the land surface. Fire hazards that need to be removed from this defensible space include: -Weeds and Grass over four inches (4’) in height. -Pine needles over two inches (2”) in depth. -Brush to be thinned and pruned to remove dead material. -On trees over 12 feet (12’) in height; all foliage within six feet (6’) of the ground is to be removed. Perform this pruning during winter months to lessen the chance of attracting bark beetles. To
help reduce the risk of fires you should take these -Remove all other combustible debris. -All firewood needs to be stacked neatly and away from fences and structures. -Spark Arrestors, with a 3/8to 1/2-inch mesh screen must be installed on wood burning chimneys. -Small limbs or other branches must be cut a minimum of ten feet (10’) away from the chimney outlet. -House numbers must be at least 4 inches in height and readily visible from the road. In areas where there is a higher risk associated with fires, additional measures may be needed. In conjunction with the County Fire Department, the County of San Bernardino, Land Use Services Department, Fire Hazard Abatement Program, will mail out notices to properties that have been found to have some or all of the listed fire hazardous conditions. After the period for owner compliance, properties that continue to have fire hazards will have them removed and be billed for the costs associated with their removal. For additional information, contact
the San Bernardino County |