From the Sept 2024 Cub Reporter: Fire Rules Getting Tougher

Reprinted with permission from Bear Valley’s Cub Reporter monthly newspaper. Opinions expressed here are the editor’s, not an official statement from BVRI.

The rules for clearing lots are changing and getting stricter. The state passed a law two years ago, raising the standards for fire clearance and handing the enforcement to CalFire. Some lot owners in Bear Valley have already seen the CalFire inspectors and gotten notices to improve fire clearance.

The new law allows established fire departments or districts to run their own inspection programs. For years, Bear Valley has had an inspection program under which Bear Valley Residents, Inc. (BVRI) sends out volunteer inspectors. ·Lots which main noncompliant after a second inspection have been handed off to the Bear Valley Sheriff/Fire Department for enforcement.

BV Fire Chief Rick Stephens said he wanted to keep the inspections inhouse and keep CalFire out. But CalFire was never officially notified of this, which is why we’ve seen CalFire inspectors coming in. Bear Valley Deputy Joe Florence says he wants the BVRI volunteer inspections to continue, but enforcement and inspections will be done by CalFire until the community comes up to the new standards. At that point, we will consider the “Declaration of Independence” that would bring the program back inhouse and leave CalFire out.

The new rules differ from past standards thus:

• Leaves, needles, or other vegetation must be cleared from roofs, decks, and stairways.
• Dead and dying trees and shrubs adjacent to buildings must be cleared
• All dead and dying trees, shrubs, grasses must be removed
• Live flammable shrubs must be removed or separated (create paths between for firefighters)
• Woodpiles must be moved 30 feet.away from the house or covered with fire-resistant material
• Grass must be cut down to 4 inches
• Trees must be thinned to break up continuous canopy
• All woodpiles 30 to 100 feet from a house must have 10 feet of clearance to mineral soil in all directions
• Duff and dead branches may not be deeper than 3 inches
• Logs or stumps embedded in the soil must be removed or isolated from other vegetation (covered with dirt)
• Propane tanks must have 10 feet of clearance down to mineral earth, and no flammable vegetation for an additional 10 feet

Be prepared to come into compliance next summer — or sooner if Ca!Fire inspects you before winter.