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May 9, 2008 1:32 pm US/Pacific
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Governor Orders State To Get Ready For Fire Season
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) ―
It's never too early to get ready for fire season. And that's what Governor Schwarzenegger is doing.
The Governor is directing the Department of Forestry and Fire protection to get mobilized in case of an early fire season.
The order will enable Cal Fire to increase the amount of fire fighters ready for battle and to pre-deploy equipment to problem areas of the state.
Schwarzenegger also instructed state fire officials to begin fining rural homeowners who fail to clear their properties of brush, trees and dry grass.
Schwarzenegger says clearing around homes is particularly important because of this year's dry conditions throughout the state.
A 2005 law required that homeowners who live near forests or grasslands increase the so-called "defensible space" around their houses from 30 feet to 100 feet.
State Fire Marshal Kate Dargan says inspectors have issued few citations to homeowners who ignore the law. Instead, firefighters have focused on educating them about the dangers of overgrown properties.
During a Capitol news conference on Friday, Schwarzenegger said he is ordering inspectors to be more strict about citing homeowners who don't act.
Fines can range from $100 to $500. If homeowners still refuse, officials can clean up the property and send them the bill.
Last year 10 people were killed in forest fires in California. Those fires burned over half a million acres across the state.
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