As Spring moves into full bloom and the weather changes to more increasing dry conditions, concerns about the upcoming fire season are begin to come to the forefront. One big concern is an apparent hole in the county ordinance designed to improve fire clearance and reduce the chance of wildfire. However, residents in Alta Sierra recently learned the current ordinance does not include large unimproved properties that are privately owned. During an On The Town Alta Sierra resident Don Bessee, explained to Tom Fitzsimmons, they discovered the gap when residents began to complain about issues on several properties and were getting no assistance from the county.

Bessee says, by definition, the biggest offenders are inadvertently exempt from the ordinance. Bessee, along with other community members, says the supervisors can fix the issue, but they need to act fast as fire season approaches.

Bessee urges people to contact their supervisor and let them know of the concern and the desire to have the current ordinance amended to include the large parcels of unimproved land in the enforcement.*