Dry brush hazardous, Petaluma Fire Department warns

While the recent winter brought badly needed rains to the North Coast, years of deep drought have still left pockets of Petaluma at risk of reverting to a virtual tinder box, prompting police and fire personnel to call on residents to cut their weeds - or else.

The city of Petaluma is reminding property owners that they are required to keep their weeds in check to limit the risk of fire during the dry season. Those who fail to do so can end up with the bill for the work and, in some cases, hefty fines when the city revs up the weed whacker on their behalf.

A warning is sufficient for the vast majority of delinquent property owners, but each year brings a handful of instances where the city must intervene, said Corinne Barclay, a fire inspector with the Petaluma Fire Department.

“The drought is still here, as far as the larger fuels go,” she said.

The Petaluma City Council in March authorized the annual issuing of notices to owners of undeveloped properties that could pose a fire risk if overgrown. The notices asked the owners to remove combustible materials by May 31 and, for larger parcels, to create vegetation-free fire breaks throughout the property and around structures. The enforcement period lasts through October, or until the first major rains in the fall.

Those who didn’t comply are likely to get a visit from the city’s weed abatement contractor, who clears weeds at an hourly rate ranging from $15 for hand work to $50 for blade work. The work also comes with a $190 administrative fee.

The contractor was in town dealing with several delinquent properties last week, Barclay said. The department abated 23 sites last year, and is responsible for overseeing a current total of 655 properties.

“Once they are noticed, if they don’t do the abatement, then we have our contractor go in and do the work,” she said.

The Petaluma Fire Department takes the lead for undeveloped properties, while Petaluma Police Department code enforcement handles cases involving homes and other developed parcels throughout the year. Costs for developed properties can escalate due to the price of successive tickets issued as part of the code enforcement process - $100 for the first ticket after an initial warning, $500 for the second and $1,000 for a third, said Code Enforcement Officer Joe Garcia.

Police can then obtain a warrant to enter the property and abate the weeds, with the property owner on the hook for all of the necessary staff time. Garcia said there was only one case in his recollection in which such an action was necessary, a residence on Maria Drive.

“We don’t want to fine anyone,” Garcia said. “I’d rather they use that money to put food on the table.”

Property owners are generally given two weekends to complete the work, he said. Grasses more than six inches high are considered a violation of the municipal code.

Behind the two-pronged approach is the fact that contiguous, overgrown properties make it easier for fire to spread in Petaluma. Well-kept properties leave little to ignite, acting as a break to advancing flames.

“When you have continuity of fuel, fire can spread much more easily,” Barclay said.

Recent weather patterns have impacted the conditions of fire-prone vegetation in Petaluma. An increased number of larger trees may have succumbed after years of intense drought, adding larger fuels to the regular blanket of seasonal grasses, Garcia said.

Garcia noted that it can be a pricier operation for property owners to remove that larger vegetation, and said the city is willing to work with cooperative individuals in terms of the timeline.

“Our goal is compliance,” he said.

Barclay emphasized that owners are required to maintain their properties throughout the dry season.

“Once we’re done with these sites, there’s always the chance for regrowth,” she said.

Some of the highest-risk areas in Petaluma include the sweeping grasslands on the west side of town, Barclay said. It’s an area where some property owners and managers have embraced some out-of-the-box techniques to keep their weeds in check, including the hiring of goats - nature’s lawn mower.

The Victoria Homeowners Association, which encompasses a community off Windsor Drive near Helen Putnam Park, has for several years been using the goats to cull weeds along a steep hillside, said Kelly Shaffer Moss, community association manager for a company working on behalf of the association, Eugene Burger Management Corp.

Laughing that her enthusiasm for the practice has earned her the nickname of “goat girl,” Moss said the pastoral scene of the grazing animals has been a hit with residents. The herd works its way through the property in about a month, and avoids the noise or exhaust that may come with other methods.

Yet it’s not only feel-good benefits, she said.

“The goats were particularly chosen for Victoria because Victoria backs up to a very, very steep hill. You can’t get equipment up there. The only thing that can get up there is a goat,” she said.

For those using mechanical methods, Barclay stressed caution, since lawn mowers can produce sparks and cause the very fire that users are trying to avoid. Guidelines from the fire department call for mowing in the early hours when moisture is greatest, and to have fire suppression tools handy.

(Contact Eric Gneckow at eric.gneckow@arguscourier.com. On Twitter @Eric_Reports.)