Monterey Fire to begin conducting fire safety inspections
MONTEREY COUNTY, Calif. (KION) The Monterey County Fire Department will start fire safety inspections on June 1, 2021 as the state prepares for wildfire season amid extremely dry conditions. The inspections will be for homes located in areas at risk for a wildland fire within the cities of Monterey, Pacific Grove, Carmel, and Sand City.
Inspections are done annually to help minimize the spread and growth of potential wildfires. They're also to help prevent any local homeowners from losing their home to fires.
When inspections are completed, Monterey Fire says they will only leave notices on a home if the homeowner needs to take action to improve their home safety. The notices will be left on or near the door.
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety recommends taking these actions to ensure home safety in case of wildland fires:
- Keep the corner areas of a building clear of combustible materials due to the higher probability of having direct flame touching the surrounding ground
- Keep gutters free of debris and use metal gutters
- Install hard surfaces, such as concrete walkway, or use noncombustible mulch products, such as rock
- Keep the lawn well irrigated and use low-growing non-woody plants. Shrubs and trees are not recommended in a 5-foot zone from the structure
- Remove dead vegetation and implement a maintenance strategy to keep a 5-foot zone of the home clear of dead plant materials
- Mitigating home ignition zones shouldn't stop at 5 feet from the building. It should be combined with the footprint of an attached deck and area that extends from the building up to 100 feet or to the property line
