Time is running out for removing vegetation and debris before fire season starts in April-May. Early removal and maintenance of excess vegetation, brush, and other fire hazards within defensible space zones is your best defense. From a low fire hazard perspective, Winter months with high humidity and rain are the best times to remove vegetation, brush, and down or dying trees.  Removal of tall, drying vegetation and grasses are best accomplished during the Spring months before the vegetation becomes too dry. It is extremely critical that removal and maintenance occur when fire risks are low. It’s never safe to remove vegetation or maintain defensible space zones when it is HIGH FIRE SEASON

Our own HOA Rule 2, based on County Code 9.32, requires annual fuel abatement measures, including: 

1. Maintain one hundred foot (100′) defensible space around all buildings/structures. 
2. Keeping annual grasses and weeds at four (4) inches or less. 
3. Limbing tree branches six feet from the ground and removing dead wood. 
4. Avoiding dense accumulations of ladder fuels. 
5. Removing climbing vines from trees and structures. 
6. Ensuring gutters are clear of debris. 

Note that County code also requires that owners maintain a minimum 10-foot clearance of vegetation next to the roadside.

Each year the national Firewise USA organization requires all Firewise Communities to renew their certification status by reporting educational activities, vegetation removal, and risk reduction investment. Although this was just our first year, we provided data way beyond what was required.

1. Samples ofeducational outreach activities:

• Coordinated community-wide awareness/educational activities to increase wildfire risk reduction actions and overall preparedness with speakers/demonstrations from the South Placer Fire Department, PCWA, Placer County Sheriff’s Office, Office of Emergency Services, and other agencies.
• Held a fire-resistant plant species workshop for residents with help from our local cooperative extension office.
• Provided two insurance clinics to residents with the support of the California Department of Insurance. Assisted individual residents facing insurance non-renewal.
• Organized residents for a volunteer neighborhood work party for a senior neighbor.
• Placed wildfire-related articles in the community newsletter and website.
• Conducted individual wildfire risk assessments and advised residents of possible next steps toward home hardening and vegetation management.

2. Samples ofvegetation removal:

• Removal of 800+ cubic yards of vegetation, 20 burn piles, and donation of 8-foot logs to a firewood company.
• Estimated weekly residential removal by homeowners of 77+ cubic yards of excess vegetation.

3. Ourrisk reduction investmentincluded:

• Hours Worked: HOA investment of 1857 hours valued at $62,191 plus Resident investment of 1547 hours valued at $51,809. (Firewise USA sets value at $33.49/hour.)
• Money Spent: HOA investment of $46,180 and Resident investment of $684,393. 

Total Investment Required = $5425; Actual Total Investment = $844, 573

Per Lot Investment Required = $33; Actual Per Lot Investment = $5213

Our community’s fire safety relies on all of us doing what we can to harden our homes and reduce excess vegetation. Our HOA is doing a great job of vegetation management. What about our residents? This year, only 14 of our 162 lots reported any investment in fire safety. Imagine how huge next year’s residential renewal investment total could be if all of us did the work and reported the investment! Imagine how much safer we would all be!

Here are your 14 intrepid reporters: Atkins, Browne, Cantalupo, Ebert, Fleisher, Forslin, Johnson, Kemper, Means, Oversteg, Rodgers, Schwegel, Steele, and Taylor.