On March 30, the Riverside County Fire Department Hazard Reduction Office mailed a Notice of Violation and Order to Abate to property owners that have not cleared parcels with overgrown weeds, dry grasses and other flammable vegetation.
The annual hazardous vegetation abatement inspections have been completed by fire personnel on vacant parcels within the Riverside County Fire Department unincorporated service area. With the combination of below average rainfall and above average temperatures during the past winter season, vegetation is quickly drying and has become a fire hazard.
With summer approaching and temperatures rising, fire danger will increase within the flammable vegetation and in turn become a major fuel source for wildland fires.
Property owners who receive a Notice of Violation and Order to Abate must clear their cited parcel(s) within 30 days, according to the requirements set forth in the notice.
Each year, CAL FIRE/Riverside County Fire Department responds to wildland fires caused by improper equipment use. Those preventable fires are caused by land owners’ or hired contractors’ improper use of motorized equipment and conducting brush clearance too late in the day.
Fires caused by improper equipment use are costly and operators who are found to be negligent will be held liable for the costs associated with fire suppression.
Following the guidelines on proper brush clearance and the safe use of equipment used to clear brush will reduce the chance of ignition and spread of wildland fires. The guidelines can be found at www.rvcfire.org or at www.fire.ca.gov/communications/communications_factsheets.php.
For additional information and/or assistance on hazardous vegetation abatement on a vacant parcel within the unincorporated areas, call (951) 943-0640.
