2009 FIRE SEASON BEGINS

Berkeley, California (Monday, June 01, 2009) - Effective, June 1, 2009, Cal Fire officially delcared the start of Fire Season for Alameda County. You can immediately improve your property's fire safety by taking the following steps:

• Clearing flammable vegetation and trees away from your house
• Removing tree limbs within 10 feet of any chimneys or stovepipes
• Removing pine needles and leaves from roofs, eaves, roof valleys, and rain gutters
• Removing dead tree limbs overhanging structures
• Removing flammable material like firewood from under decks
• Placing your woodpile far away from your house
• Ensuring you place spark arrestors on all internal combustion engines used around flammable vegetation (mowers, chainsaws, weed eaters, motorcycle, etc.)
• Remembering to cut your grass regularly and always before noon.  Dry grass has the highest amount of moisture in the morning.
• If you see smoke or a fire, report it immediately by calling 911 from a land line phone, or 510-981-5911 from your cell phone.  Be prepared to provide information on the fire's location.

For more information on protecting your home from wildfire, please visit www.GetReadyBerkeley.org or call 510-981-5506.

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