Fire Hazard Abatement

Recent fires have raised awareness about ways to make our homes safer against potential fire damage. Some helpful fire safety tips can be found on the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) website at https://ocfa.org/SafetyPrograms/FireSafety.aspx.

The Association also takes measures to mitigate potential fire risk. Several years ago, the Association undertook a fire hazard abatement project with the OCFA to target areas of acacia on the community slopes for renovation. The old acacia was replaced with a new variety of acacia called “lowboy acacia” that is a smaller variety of acacia that does not grow as tall. The problem with the old acacia is that it can grow large and woody underneath as it ages, and the OCFA regulations restrict the height of vegetation of areas in a defensible space to no more than 2 feet, as this can help prevent the rapid spread of fire. The Association’s landscaper and arborist worked closely with the OCFA to identify which areas were a fire risk and those areas were replaced with new lowboy acacia.

A key factor in which areas were targeted for renovation was whether a fire truck could access the area from the street. It is not feasible to replace all of the old acacia on the slopes, so this was the main criteria in determining which specific areas would be replaced. The Association wanted the residents to be aware of why certain areas have been replaced with lowboy acacia and the criteria for determining whether a particular area is a fire risk.

Also, please note that the Association’s landscape company performs weed/brush abatement on several of the Association-maintained slopes annually in the Spring in accordance with OCFA guidelines.