Fire Hazards SMC 10 .0 8 .0 40 : Fire Hazard from Vegetation and - PDF document

T A L L , D R Y V E G E T A T I O N A N D D E B R I S Fire Hazards

SMC 10 .0 8 .0 40 : Fire Hazard from Vegetation and Debris Owners and occupants of property within the City must remove or destroy all grass, weeds, shrubs, bushes, trees and vegetation growing or which has grown and died and all debris which are a fire hazard or a menace to the public health, safety or welfare.

Fire Hazard Lim itations Proximity Condition Weather Time Type

Vegetation Lim itations Vegetation m ust be tall, 10 inches in length. Vegetation m ust be dry. Vegetation m ust be dense enough to be able to spread. The weather m ust be warm-over 70 degrees, for at least 10 days. Vegetation m ust be within 10 feet of a combustible structure.

Debris Lim itations Debris m ust be of considerable dryness and flammability to be able to combust and spread. Most cases of debris are dealt with as a solid waste issue rather than as a fire hazard.

What happens when a com plaint is m ade? A Code Official will inspect the property and determine as to the validity of the complaint. If violation is found, a Notice of Violation will be issued to the property owner and occupants, specifying a date that the property must be brought into compliance.

What if property is not brought into com pliance? The city may either: Have vegetation cut and removed at cost of the owner/ occupants Remove the debris at the cost to the owner/ occupants, or Issue a citation for $513.00 to the owner and occupants. In most cases, the issue is taken care of after the Notice is sent.

Rem em ber! In case of an emergency, call 911! Code Enforcement deals only with tall, dry vegetation and debris during the official Fire Season For all other fire hazards you are concerned about, the Spokane Fire Department should be contacted. To report these potential fire hazard, contact Fire Marshal’s office at 625-7000.

EXAMPLES YES NO Mostly dry vegetation close to a house. Mostly green vegetation.

EXAMPLES NO YES Mostly dry, vegetation, no structures m ostly dry vegetation near by.

EXAMPLES NO YES Dry but not tall tall, dry and near structure.

Exam ples NO YES Tall, dry within 10 ft of structure Tall but green vegetation

Exam ples YES NO Tall, dry and within 10 ft of structure Dry but short

Exam ples NO YES Tall, dry and within 10 ft of structure Tall, near structure, but green

Questions??