This 2015 fire in the Via de las Olas bluffs was started by a homeless fire. Brush clearance is a must in Pacific Palisades.
Residents living in Pacific Palisades have all received a notice about Brush Clearance requirements. In the past, we simply inspected our property and sent in the form saying it had been done. There is no longer an honor system.
Circling the News reached out to the LAFD Brush Clearance people and received a reply on April 6: “Affidavits are no longer being used,” the email stated. “Inspections start May 1.”
CTN asked, “Does that mean that LAFD is going to inspect every residential lot in Pacific Palisades?”
In an April 26 email, Fire Inspector II Paul Terris responded that “The LAFD will inspect all parcels in the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone (VHFHSZ), which includes Pacific Palisades.”
In the letter that should have been received by all land and homeowners, you are required to register your property with the APN and PIN number at vms3.lafd.org.
That was done by CTN, but then we asked, “What happened to people who don’t register their property? Will it still be inspected, too?”
Terris said, “All properties will be inspected, regardless of registration status.”
A CTN reader asked: “Please explain what homeowners are to do in response to the March 1 Fire Department notification. Not one house I have seen in 90272 meets the requirements on p. 3.”
Terris said, “Homeowners will be notified by the LAFD if their property has issues that require brush clearance or other remediation after the initial inspection is conducted.”
One of the requirements is that parkway trees be trimmed. CTN asked if this is a resident’s responsibility and LAFD responded, “Parkway trees are Street Services’ responsibility, if the trees are determined to be city trees.”
On the LAFD site (lafd.org/fire-prevention/brush/inspection-process) under inspections, homeowners are urged to clean their properties prior to May 15. Inspections will be done by LAFD Brush Task Force and continue for four to six weeks.
The site stated: “Those parcels that are found to be in violation will be issued a notice of violation and assessed a $29 non-compliance fee. The homeowner will have 30 days to comply with the notice of violation.”
A second inspection will occur after 30 days to check to see if the property is in compliance. If it fails, it will be cleared by City contractors. The property owner will be invoiced a noncompliance fee of $516, an administrative fee of $1,303, and the contractor’s fee.
Thank you for following up on my request to me understand how to respond to the LAFD notice. This is very helpful to me and almost certainly to others as well.
what does inspection due on status mean.
Pat,
Where are you seeing that in the story? I was told that LAFD will inspect all properties now and let people know if they have to make changes.
Sue