Lolita Harper
HILLSIDE DISTRICT -- Fire season is coming, and the Burbank Fire
Department wants to make sure residents don't add fuel to the flames.
Hillside residents should look for a letter reminding them to clear
the brush around their homes before June 1, Burbank Fire Capt. Bob
Reinhardt said. Letters will be sent at the end of this month.
Homeowners must clear any native vegetation -- not including
landscaping -- at least 100 feet away from any structure, Reinhardt said.
"Native vegetation burns the most readily," he said.
People can choose to do the work themselves or hire a private brush
clearance company. Average costs range from $100 to more than $1,000,
depending on the size, slope and vegetation of the property, said
landscaper Shane Gazan of Absolute, a landscaping firm.
If property owners decide to do the work themselves, they must be sure
to watch for bees and snakes that hide in the brush, Gazan said. They
should also be sure to identify sumac trees, which have a high oil
content and are extremely dangerous in a fire.
"These trees literally explode and shoot off burning fireballs," Gazan
said.
Fire season starts in the summer, but the most critical time is in the
fall, when the Santa Ana winds start to blow, said Reinhardt, who added
that the department wants to be more than sure residents get their brush
cleared by then.
