Oakland homeowners clear defensible space for fire prevention

OAKLAND, Calif. (KRON) — In the past week, an evacuation warning was issued for 150 homes threatened by wildfire in Antioch, and PG&E proactively shut off power to hundreds of Bay Area customers due to heightened fire conditions.

One company is solely focused on saving properties by creating defensible space.

Deep in the weeds on a misty morning in the Oakland Hills, Brush Pros is busy clearing dry grass within 100 feet of this home.

“People off of Grizzly Peak and Skyline — you know, it’s a common area where people shoot fireworks off. So, this is the surrounding community,” said Brush Pros Deputy General Manager George Peters.

A community burdened with a history of deadly and destructive wildfires.

“We save lives. We save properties. We save communities,” Peters said.

Brush Pros is a fire prevention company serving the area for more than 20 years.

Peters says his crews have been focused on lowering grass — trimming low-hanging tree branches up to six feet and removing dry and dead vegetation from roofs and gutters.

“The code in Oakland, California: once the grass becomes longer than three inches, it becomes a fire hazard,” Peters said. “You can be cited.”

Peters helps his clients stay in compliance with city and Alameda County ordinances.
Following the Somersville Fire that burned 358 acres in Antioch last week, stressing the importance of keeping up to code.

Mitigating fire risks before flames break out gives people and property a better chance of surviving.