California City Bans Foliage Within 5 Feet of Homes in Fire Hazard Areas

Regulations are in the works to require defensible areas around at-risk homes. South Lake Tahoe isn’t waiting.
California City Bans Foliage Within 5 Feet of Homes in Fire Hazard Areas
A firefighter lights a backfire to stop the Caldor Fire from spreading near South Lake Tahoe, Calif., on Sept. 1, 2021. Jae C. Hong/AP Photo
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With California set to ban plants within five feet of homes at risk for wildfire, residents in the South Lake Tahoe area are on track to implement strict new fire rules this month.

A new ordinance approved by the South Lake Tahoe City Council in June affecting the entire city will go into effect on July 18, mandating that businesses and homeowners keep their properties free of brush, shrubs, grasses, and other combustible material in a five-foot zone around structures, South Lake Tahoe Battalion Chief Kim George told The Epoch Times July 16.

Summer Lane
Summer Lane
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Summer Lane is the bestselling author of 30 adventure books, including the hit "Collapse Series." She is a reporter and writer with years of experience in journalism and political analysis. Summer is a wife and mother and lives in the Central Valley of California.