Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger directed firefighters to step up enforcement of state fire laws, requiring that homeowners maintain a 100-foot defensible space around buildings, as he signed an executive order Friday to begin mobilizing firefighters for the fire season.
He instructed the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to start citing property owners who fail to comply with the defensible space law.
"For the past three years, we've really been pushing the education of the law," said Daniel Berlant, a Cal Fire spokesman, "but now we are going to start enforcing it."
"We are going to go out there and fine homeowners if we have to, because not only does defensible space save properties, it saves lives," he said.
Hundreds of thousands of homes were saved by defensible space in last year's Southern California fires, Berlant said.
The governor mentioned those wildfires Friday, reminding Californians that half a million acres burned, 3,000 structures were destroyed and 10 people lost their lives.
The defensible space law, in place since 2005, requires property owners to reduce as much dead vegetation as possible in an area of 100 feet surrounding their home.
First-time violators can be fined between $100 and $500, authorities said.
Berlant said removing weeds, pine needles, dead grass and bushes is worthwhile.
"That small amount of time is nothing compared to losing your home," he said.
The governor had similar thoughts. "We know from past fires, and I think the experts here can tell you, that prevention is half the battle," he said.
Mike Stewart, fire marshal for Sacramento Metro Fire District, has mailed out more than 1,000 letters to residents reminding them of the required defensible space.
The governor also directed other state agencies, including the Office of Emergency Services, National Guard, California Conservation Corps and Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to coordinate with federal and local agencies as they prepare for the fire season.
Tobie Edmonds of Cal Fire said with a lack of rain, much of the region is rapidly drying out.
"Is it going to be a big, bad fire season? I don't know and I don't know anyone who can predict something like that," he said, "but we're always on the ready mode. We train for the worst and get ready for whatever comes our way."
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