A proposed weed abatement ordinance for San Luis Obispo County will soon be discussed.

The idea for a countywide weed abatement ordinance came about after the State Fire Marshal released new fire hazard severity zones within local responsibility areas, or LRAs.

An LRA refers to land that is covered by local jurisdictions, like city or county fire departments, for wildfire protection.

“We have seen an increase in our home insurance cost, almost certainly due to the perceived fire danger with respect to the local maps that have been updated by the state,” said Mark Virgin, Los Osos resident.

Mark Virgin says he thinks this ordinance is a good idea.

“I think it’s a good idea because we need to make sure that the flashy fuels that kick off these bigger fires are kept under control in the county,” Virgin said.

The proposed ordinance requires property owners to clear fire hazards within 100 feet of buildings. If a building is less than 100 feet from a property line and there’s a fire hazard on the neighboring property, the owner of that neighboring property must clear it. The San Luis Obispo County Fire Department gets about 5 to 10 daily calls about vegetation complaints within LRAs.

“It should be a personal responsibility, but if the person does not take the responsibility, there needs to be some kind of enforcement,” said Patrick McGibney, Los Osos resident.

The proposed ordinance would apply to 13,808 parcels that fall under LRAs. “I think they are losing an opportunity for fire safety for the whole county,” McGibney said.

Patrick McGibney lives in Los Osos but also owns a property in California Valley that falls under the state responsibility area, so his property would not be covered by the proposed ordinance.

Back in 2019, he says a fire broke out at a property across from his. “The grasses are just a huge fuel source, and if they are cut back as they should be, they will still burn, but they won’t burn to the intensity of three-foot grasses,” McGibney said.

McGibney says he hopes the county will decide to include all unincorporated communities in the ordinance. “We don’t have insurance. The only fire insurance we do have is abatement,” McGibney said.

County Supervisors are scheduled to hold a hearing on the proposed ordinance on August 19.