No immediate need to remove yard wood if far enough away from structures

The closure of beaches means that homeowners cannot currently have bonfires to get rid of the wood in their yards from trimmed trees or branches blown off, but Dominic Fieri, fire marshal of North County Fire Protection District, said he doesn’t see such wood as a fire hazard during the spring if it is far enough away from structures.

“At this particular time, it isn’t a concern,” Fieri said.

During hotter and drier conditions, the wood would become a fire hazard, but if bonfires are delayed until late spring that won’t likely be the case.

“It needs to cure anyway before it can burn,” Fieri said.

A safe distance from the house will further minimize the risk to structures.

“The first thing we’re doing is separating it from the house,” Fieri said. “We like to keep it 30 feet from the house.”

That separation includes a house on an adjacent lot. Wood stored too close to another property but more than 30 feet away from a structure can cause complaints from neighbors although that is usually due to vermin rather than to the fire hazard.

“It’s usually more the complaints with rodents,” Fieri said. “It’s not a fire thing.”

The fire department activity during a wildfire includes “prep and go” in which protective gel is placed on a home while patio furniture or other nearby flammable items are removed. A small amount of wood can be moved, but a large amount of wood too close to the structure would take too much time at the expense of other properties, so the fire department will not protect a structure in that situation.

Wood far enough away from the house thus reduces the need of fire suppression personnel to remove that combustible item.

“It eliminates the man-hours when time is so precious during those vegetation fires,” Fieri said.

Fieri added that a small amount of wood used for near-term burning in a fireplace may be acceptable.

“We’re more concerned with typically anything over that two cords of wood storage,” Fieri said.

The fire code limits firewood to two cords with the pile dimensions no more than 4 feet in height, 4 feet in width and 16 feet in length.

“It’s quite a lot of wood at that point,” Fieri said.

Those are the fire department’s standards.

“The insurance companies can be really strict about it,” Fieri said.

A controlled burn permit may also be obtained to burn wood on one’s property although wind or air pollution issues may prevent burning on a particular day.

“If it’s anything over a ton then they need to go through Cal Fire,” Fieri said.

Storage varies by property.

“Every property is unique,” Fieri said.

If the fire department feels that an abatement notice is warranted the process will begin with a warning. A property owner who receives such a notice can contact the fire department for storage suggestions. A property owner who has not received an abatement notice may also seek guidance from the fire department.

“We’ll just advise them for that particular lot that they’re on the best location to store it,” Fieri said.

Yard vegetation also includes grass.

“Right now, the moisture is really high, so we’re not necessarily worried about that grass at this moment,” Fieri said.

The North County Fire Protection District had planned to send out weed abatement notices before the March rains.

“February was really dry, and January was really dry,” Fieri said.

Those who use Republic Services for waste disposal were provided with a message which included the sentence: “Until further notice, Republic Services will be suspending bulk item pickup and yard waste services in accordance with the state mandate that only essential services be provided during this time.”

EDCO Disposal, which bought out Fallbrook Refuse Service, has not announced such a stoppage.

“It’s business as usual for them,” Fieri said. “In Fallbrook, they’re still picking up green waste.”

Even if disposal companies cease to take green waste, cut grass is not currently a fire hazard.

“As you mow it, you can leave it on the ground,” Fieri said. “We actually encourage that they mow often.”

Fieri doesn’t recommend mowing once the grass has dried.

“That can create its own fire hazard,” he said, explaining that if a moving blade hits a rock that rock can be an ignition source.

Although grass on slopes should also be cut, Fieri recommends keeping approximately 6 inches of grass on slopes so that the slope shape can be retained.

“It’s a fine balance,” he said.

Joe Naiman can be reached by email at [email protected].