SACRAMENTO — As fire danger increases in the valley, the City of Sacramento is warning property owners to clear away dry grass and weeds. Those that don’t could be facing fines.
Firefighters say vacant lots overgrown with dry brush create a high fire danger.
“Those can quickly spread to fences and then start attic fires or start structure fires,” said Captain Justin Sylvia with the Sacramento Fire Department. “They move very quickly.”
On some lots, the weed problem is out of control.
“We were just on a fire the other day seeing 10- to 12-feet tall weeds, and that fire was moving,” Capt. Sylvia said.
Sacramento’s code enforcement department said more than 3,000 properties in the city are covered with weeds a foot or more high. CBS Sacramento obtained a list of the addresses—and it’s 86 pages long.
City law requires properties to be cleared of weeds annually by April 15. If that doesn’t happen, the land can be declared a public nuisance and owners face a $1,500 fine.