ConFire Tells Contra Costa Residents To Prepare For Fire Season

Hot weather and high winds in Contra Costa County marked the start of May — and the official beginning of fire season.

ConFire is telling residents to help protect themselves from the devastation wildfires can cause by taking precautions.

Here's what ConFire posted on its blog about fire season preparedness:

Fire season came early for Contra Costa County this year! Fire season was declared on April 30, 2013 and this fire season is expected to be busy with earlier than expected drying of annual grasses and vegetation in the area.

The Contra Costa County Fire Protection District reminds all residents and property owners to take action in preparing your home and property for fire season. The most important person in protecting a house from wildfire is not a firefighter, but the property owner. It is the action taken by the owner before the wildfire occurs that is most critical. Steps need to be taken to abate dry weeds, dead grasses, combustible rubbish, and other combustible vegetation in order to protect your home, help to make your community safe from wildfire, and to fully comply with the Fire District’s exterior hazard control and weed abatement ordinance.

In addition to removing dead or dying vegetation from your property, creating a defensible space around your home is critical to assisting firefighters in the event of a wildfire. A defensible space perimeter around buildings and structures provides firefighters a working environment that allows them to protect buildings and structures from encroaching wildfires as well as minimizing the chance that a structure fire will escape to the surrounding area. Please see our defensible space brochure for details and helpful information about this important element of your personal fire safety preparation plan.

Ensuring access to your home and property is easily identified with address numbers at the start of your driveway, private road, and directly on your home will assist responding fire crews in getting to your home quickly. Trimming back foliage, vegetation, and overhanging branches to at least 13’‐6” above your driveway or private roadway will allow our fire engines the clearance needed to get to your home. Grasses and dead vegetation needs to be cut back from the sides of your driveway or private roadway at least 10 feet to ensure the safety of responding personnel in the event of a fire.

Residents and property owners can call our Exterior Hazard Control Unit at 925‐941‐3300 for clarification or questions and to report a nuisance parcel.

Wildfire prevention and protection begins with each property owner. Take steps now to ensure your property is free of any combustible rubbish, weeds, or other vegetation that presents a fire hazard and create a defensible space around your home.

How are you protecting your home during fire season? Comment below.