Annual fire safety inspections in Monterey County will begin this Monday for residences in Monterey, Pacific Grove, Carmel, and Sand City. This inspection is done on an annual basis to help minimize the spread and growth of a wildland fire and reduce the potential loss of homes in such a fire.
New this year, inspectors will leave a notice at the home indicating the inspection was completed and what, if any, corrective actions should be taken by the homeowner or occupant. The notices will be in the form of a self-adhesive sticker left on or near the door (see example).
Follow-up letters will be sent to homeowners for properties where additional work should be done. After a few weeks, a re-inspection will be completed to ensure that homeowners are properly preparing their home and in compliance with regulations.
Homeowners and residents are encouraged to be proactive in making their home defensible in the event of a fire by taking the following steps:
- Keep grass mowed to 4 inches or less
- Remove leaves and pine needles from roofs and gutters
- Remove dead and dying vegetation within 30 feet of your home
- Remove ladder fuels (vegetation under trees) so a surface fire cannot reach the crowns
- Prune trees up to 6 to 10 feet from the ground; for shorter trees do not exceed 1/3 of the overall tree height
- Remove branches that hang over your roof and keep branches 10 feet away from your chimney
- Remove vegetation and items that could catch fire from around and under decks
For further information on preparing their homes, people can visit www.readyforwildfire.org/. For information on the inspection program, contact the Monterey Fire Administration office at 831-646-3900.
Source: Monterey County Fire
