County Fire Plans Diamond Bar Brush Inspection Wednesday

The city of Diamond Bar is reminding hillside residents that the Los Angeles County Fire will start conducting its annual brush clearance inspection Wednesday.

The inspection is part of the department’s push to protect properties from wildfire threats, according to the city of Diamond Bar’s newsletter.  Fire department personnel will canvas the city and give 30-day correction notices to residents whose properties don’t meet the county’s brush clearance requirements.

The purpose of the requirements, which homeowners are legally responsible for, is to create “defensible space in which firefighters can operate safely in order to help protect a home during a wildfire,” city officials said.  The city lists the requirements as follows:

• Removing all flammable vegetation or other combustible growth within 30 feet (50 feet in areas determined to be high fire hazard) of any structure; and

• Thinning out or remove additional vegetation an additional 70 feet from the structure; an additional 100 feet of thinning or removal may be required in high fire hazard areas.

Additional measures to help safeguard homes from wildfires include:

• Yard: Landscaping with fire-resistant, low-growing plants with high moisture content; and keeping woodpiles, propane tanks and combustible materials away from the house and other structures, such as garages and sheds.

• Roof: Clearing pine needles, leaves, and other debris from the roof and gutters; screening or enclosing rain gutters to prevent accumulation of plant debris; and cutting any tree branches within 10 feet of the roof.

• Vents: Covering all vent openings with 1/8 inch or smaller metal mesh; do not use fiberglass or plastic mesh because it can melt and burn.

• Windows: Installing dual-paned with the exterior pane of tempered glass windows to reduce the chance of breakage in a fire.

Also recommended is that homeowners have multiple garden hoses long enough to reach any area of the house and other structures on their property to maximize water resources.  Those property owners with pools or wells should consider getting a pump, officials said.

For more information, contact the Los Angeles County Fire Department at 323-881-2411 or visit its website at http://fire.lacounty.gov/Forestry/BrushClearance.asp.