Fire season officially begins in Santa Rosa; weed abatement ordinance in effect

SANTA ROSA, Calif. (KGO) -- In the North Bay, fire season has officially arrived in one community. The declaration is coming with little fanfare, instead a warning for homeowners to be ready for wildfire, despite a wet winter.

"Absolutely not, we don't want to go through that again, crazy times," said Brandon Goodman.

Goodman has survived several wildfires in Sonoma County since 2017 and he doesn't want to relive nightmares of the past. Now, it's all about defensible space around his home.

MORE: What will CA's wildfire season look like? Here's when it's expected to peak, what to know

"I'm out there weed whacking," Goodman said.

Fire Season has officially begun in Santa Rosa, and the June 5 declaration is a reminder to homeowners about the city's weed abatement ordinance, requiring everyone to clear tall grass and weeds from properties taller than four inches. Firefighters say after a drought-busting winter, wildfire threat is still there.

"We've received so much rain, it restored moisture levels, but I expect we'll still deal with typical grass fires this year," said Santa Rosa Fire Marshal Paul Lowenthal.

The timing is a bit bizarre, considering there's rain in the forecast this week.

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