City launches annual brush clearing program as fire season approaches

The Palm Springs Fire Department kicked off its annual brush mitigation program Thursday morning, with crews beginning work to clear more than 100 acres of city-owned property to reduce wildfire risk.

Fire Chief Paul Alvarado said the department is starting in the Little Tuscany neighborhood, an area historically prone to brush fires, before moving to other vulnerable areas throughout the city.

“We’re leading the way by example,” Alvarado said as workers from West Coast Arborists cleared brush behind him along West Racquet Club Road. “In our city owned lots, we have over 100 acres that we’re going to clear brush.

“In a lot of these areas we have neighbors that are surrounding us, and we’re going to teach them what they need to do to mitigate the potential damage that could occur from a wildfire incident.”

The program, now in its second year, focuses on creating 100-foot defensible spaces around structures in areas designated as fire hazard severity zones by the California Office of the State Fire Marshal.

Alvarado said the city is urging residents to follow the department’s example by clearing brush on their own properties, keeping vegetation properly spaced and trees trimmed.

“What I’m asking residents today is to take a look at what we’re doing and do the same thing on their property,” Alvarado said.

The fire chief explained specific guidelines for property owners, including not only clearing dry brush, but cutting grass to a maximum height of three inches and trimming tree branches so they don’t hang over roofs or grow within six feet of the ground.

Palm Springs City Councilmember Grace Garner, who attended the event, emphasized the importance of the city’s proactive approach to emergency management.

“We’re making sure that we’re prepared for any type of emergency that comes our way. And this is a huge first step,” Garner said. “We don’t want any situation to come where we’re not ready. And we’ve seen with Tropical Storm Hilary, we were prepared.”

Alvarado also highlighted recent changes to California’s fire hazard severity maps for the city — which can be viewed here — which now classify Palm Springs in the “moderate” category rather than “very high,” though he stressed that residents should not let their guard down.

“What’s new this year is they’ve created three levels of hazard,” Alvarado said. “Palm Springs is now moderate, which makes sense, because when you look at our mountains, you can still see the dirt and the rocks behind.”

Despite the lower hazard classification, Alvarado noted that the number of homes within the designated zones has increased from 1,200 to 3,000, expanding the department’s education efforts.

The fire chief also emphasized the importance of the “Ready, Set, Go” approach to wildfire evacuation, referencing fire disasters in both Maui and the Los Angeles area.

“What we saw in the LA fires in January, people waited too long in some of the neighborhoods,” Alvarado said. “In much of Palm Springs there’s only one way in and out. If you’re waiting as the brush fire is approaching and I’ve already given you the warning to evacuate, you’re going to be impacting fire department resources that are trying to get into the fire as you’re trying to leave your residence.”

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