- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
Lakeport city officials urge property owners to clear dry vegetation, lower fire risk
In April, the Lakeport City Council unanimously approved a new hazardous weed abatement ordinance which changed the date by which dry vegetation on private properties must be abated from early July to June 1, as Lake County News has reported.
That ordinance was part of a larger and more aggressive approach to vegetation abatement that city officials said they had undertaken along with the Lakeport Fire Protection District to protect the community against fire.
The updated ordinance, which is now part of Section 8.28 of the Lakeport Municipal Code, defines dry vegetation creating fire hazard conditions as a nuisance and outlines a procedure that allows the city to abate declared nuisance properties if property owners do not self-abate such identified hazardous vegetation in a timely manner.
The city reported that property owners are required to abate dry vegetation at least once between May 1 and June 1 each year.
The weed abatement standards are not a one-time observance; the city said a property owner will likely need to remove dry vegetation on their property more than once during the year, especially during the high fire months of April through October.
However, the city said property owners must mow weeds safely, as one small spark from a mower blade hitting a rock can result in a large fire.
All mowing should be completed as early in the morning as possible, while temperatures are low, humidity is high, and grasses are still damp with dew. When mowing, always have a water fire extinguisher or other source and pointed shovel handy. Mow early and often, officials said.
Performing annual visits to properties is an important element in the city’s fire hazard prevention, and so city of Lakeport Code Enforcement staff and members of the Lakeport Fire Protection District will be performing on-site inspections of the parcels within the city beginning June 1, with followup inspections made as needed.
The intent of the visits is to verify that properties are in compliance with all hazardous weed abatement requirements. Findings from the visits will be compiled by city personnel and presented to the Lakeport City Council.
For more information visit the city’s Hazardous Weed Abatement page at www.cityoflakeport.com or contact the city of Lakeport Code Enforcement Division at 707-263-5615, Extension 205.
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