Page 5 - Sonoma County Gazette April 2017

LETTERS cont’d from page 4
Thanks for your email. CAL FIRE has the ability to enter private property if there is a fire or to investigate the possibility of a fire. I recommend you report all smoke and fires to initiate
our response. If a campfire, cooking, or warming fire is found, we will need to determine if it is safe and if trespassing is involved. We do not enforce trespassing. If the fire is not safe, we will extinguish and take (or request SCSO) appropriate enforcement action based upon if we are able to identify a responsible person.
Thanks,
Marshall Turbeville CAL FIRE
(707) 529-2523
It is my understanding that CAL FIRE can enter any/all property to investigate/ enforce a fire or potential fire.
I appreciate your help for getting back to me concerning the homeless encampments. I will be addressing the Sheriff’s Department regarding this subject.
We do not have the ability to post a warning. CAL FIRE’s jurisdiction is specific to wildland vegetation and clearance around residences.
Just to clarify a little bit more. The Sheriff would need a “Trespass Action Form” to enter a property and according to your statement in your previous e-mail, “CAL FIRE has the ability to enter private property if there is a fire or to investigate the possibility of a fire”. I would think any illegal camping by a non-property owner in a wooded area, not designated for camping, has the potential of a “possibility of a fire” and should be investigated by Cal Fire.
Marshall Turbeville
CAL FIRE, (707) 529-2523
If a person is safely (clearance, in attendance, etc.) having a fire/campfire, then we will need to determine if other laws are being broken such as whether they have the prperty owner’s permission or not. The “Trespass Action
Form” is specific to the Sheriff’s department for enforcing trespassing. If the property is owned by the
State (not CAL FIRE), I think CAL FIRE will also need to work with CHP as they are the state agency with law enforcement jurisdiction on state property. For county property, I believe we can treat it the same as private property, just the County is the owner.
Now if there is no “Trespass Action Form” on file by an absentee property owner on a vacant property with the Sheriffs Department and Cal Fire deems it a potential fire risk, what then?
Does CAL FIRE have the ability to impose a warning or fine on the property owner for not maintaining their property against fire hazards?
Would that include County property and State property?
Some homeless encampments are on County Property. The County has chosen to ignore both fire hazards to our wooded area and pollution issues to the Russian River which I feel needs to be addressed by the State Fish & Game. I was hoping that Cal Fire might be the agency that could get some action to motivate the County to start protecting our environment against wildfires. Seems all hands are tied or pointing at each other and the danger continues to build in this area.
Maybe Supervisor Hopkins can answer my next question--Can the County also file a “Trespass Action Form” with the Sheriff Department or are they exempt? I’ll also be asking the Sheriff’s Dept. this question!
Sincerely, Doreen Atkinson
We encourage DIALOGUE - keep those LETTERS coming...to vesta@sonic.net
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