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Home » Neglected Homes In Concord Presenting Significant Fire Risk For Neighbors

Neglected Homes In Concord Presenting Significant Fire Risk For Neighbors

by CLAYCORD.com
35 comments

35 comments


Neighbor June 11, 2019 - 2:06 PM - 2:06 PM

Interesting how they frame the story- no explanation of how the fire actually started, but instead, finger pointing at the neighbors, and promoting more authoritarian control over people’s private property by city agencies.

Tank June 11, 2019 - 4:18 PM - 4:18 PM

Authoritarian Control? As a tax paying homeowner who mows my lawn and has respect for my neighbors, I’m all for anyone cleaning up this nuisance.

Fred June 11, 2019 - 5:35 PM - 5:35 PM

“authoritarian control over people’s private property by city agencies.”

There should be more of that so you do not DIE as many homeowners are too stupid to live

Recall ‘Em All June 11, 2019 - 6:11 PM - 6:11 PM

Agreed
Rules need to be established and followed to keep property values at appropriate levels AND to keep people safe. Some people can’t figure this out on their own. I think it’s more important to have the rules because some people don’t care about their neighbors; they care more about being regulated.

TANK June 11, 2019 - 7:26 PM - 7:26 PM

Do know that this photo is of the backyard of this residence. I do see the city ordinance vehicle around in our neighborhood but unless they have a complaint about someone’s backyard, they can only go by what they see in the front yard. They don’t get out and peek over people’s fences.

Anon June 11, 2019 - 2:15 PM - 2:15 PM

So does the neglected pg&e land on Valmar…… don’t see them rushing out to mow that!!!

Kim June 11, 2019 - 4:32 PM - 4:32 PM

Right!!!!

anon June 11, 2019 - 3:19 PM - 3:19 PM

Besides the citation – send in a contractor & clear it out & lien the property –
its that simple..the city knows who owns the property or you can call the assessor..this can kill you..if I lived there I would make sure this happened

GRX June 11, 2019 - 4:37 PM - 4:37 PM

Concur, Property rights can be diminished when property conditions pose a risk to the health and safety of others. Not to mention it looks like crap which affects the perception of the neighborhood to residents and visitors.

It would be terrible if the structures mysteriously burned down but sometimes that is the best form of redevelopment… moreso than waiting for the property owner to show some initiative to make it presentable.

Gittyup June 11, 2019 - 9:41 PM - 9:41 PM

@GRX And, you’ll be the first one questioned about your suggested arson if that happens.

Ricardoh June 11, 2019 - 4:01 PM - 4:01 PM

If just heat started fires the whole state would burn. Not just where arsonists roam.

Gittyup June 11, 2019 - 10:58 PM - 10:58 PM

Right. Arizona and New Mexico would be toast.

Roz June 11, 2019 - 4:03 PM - 4:03 PM

Well the fire on Willow Pass Rd triggered how some homeowners near by do not keep a presentable yard. With 4th of July around the corner, who knows what might happen. FYI, I live less than a mile from where the fire started, but have the neighbor right next door who’s backyard looks like the photo on this post. If those weed caught fire,…Yikes!

ArtToChokeHearts June 11, 2019 - 4:19 PM - 4:19 PM

Thank you to the person pointing out the PG&E land on Valmar! 5 foot high dead weeds year round under tons of power lines is the perfect kindling for a neighborhood disaster!

Word! June 11, 2019 - 4:45 PM - 4:45 PM

I completely agree. Not only is that an eye sore but a fire risk as well. The house on the corner of Ayers and olive is so overgrown and looks like hell that only a spark would take that whole place out. Unfortunately houses like that- dry and over grown are all too common around here and a huge fire risk not to mention bring the values of neighborhoods down with people that don’t take care of or have pride in cutting things down in the least.

anon June 11, 2019 - 5:36 PM - 5:36 PM

The property two vacant lots with 5ft tall dry grass on Valmar Drive are not owned by PG&E. Each lot is owned privately. They are HUGE fire hazard to the rest of the neighborhood. Maybe they should move the abatement date to May 1.
To the neighbor who thinks it is safe for him and his son to ride dirt bikes in these lots please stop and consider the risk to all of our homes.

anon June 11, 2019 - 8:53 PM - 8:53 PM

“To the neighbor who thinks it is safe for him and his son to ride dirt bikes in these lots please stop and consider the risk to all of our homes”
**** ask any cop– dirt bike riders could care less…..the noise that wakes people up makes them happy…as for danger from fire–they do not care

anon June 11, 2019 - 5:37 PM - 5:37 PM

if you see a problem house- call the PD – they have code enforcement for this—it really just that simple

Anon June 11, 2019 - 5:44 PM - 5:44 PM

What agency do we contact to report neglected property that is a fire hazard?

Roz June 11, 2019 - 9:14 PM - 9:14 PM

City of Concord’s P.D.~ Code Enforcement,…(925)-671-3075

Gizmo June 11, 2019 - 6:35 PM - 6:35 PM

I know that this is not the case in all of these neglected homes but something I thought I would throw out there.

In some cases it may be an elderly occupant that can no longer upkeep the property. It may also be someone that is having health challenges. Someone that has fallen on hard times. I am wondering if we could come together and maybe offer as a community to help clear some of these yards (with their permission of course). I have seen stories in the past on the news where someone has helped a member of the community and it was easer to maintain from that point on and they did. It could even maybe be an opportunity for teens to make some money to help maintain these yards by raking and mowing lawns.

Again, I know that is not always the case ands some owners just simply do not care if their yard looks like an overgrown junkyard. But if this could help create a safer neighborhood and bring curb appeal back to a neighborhood I say it is a win-win.

jon s June 12, 2019 - 12:48 AM - 12:48 AM

While you’re at it,can you locate Mary Poppins??

Silva June 12, 2019 - 8:57 AM - 8:57 AM

+1!

Gittyup June 13, 2019 - 5:19 AM - 5:19 AM

That is a nice idea, but be sure to speak to the homeowner first and get their permission. Curb appeal is in the eye of the beholder. There is also liability involved on both sides. Someone was mowing my lawn without my permission and their lawnmower carried every weed known to mankind into my yard including spurge. My beautifully maintained Weed and Feed lawn is now one of those weed patches everyone is complaining about. They didn’t help me, they have caused me tremendous grief.

And, the shrubs against the house … they shade the structure from the scorching summer temperatures like we’ve just seen. Cutting them down could cause a huge spike in their air conditioning costs which they may not be able to afford. It doesn’t hurt to consider unintended consequences.

fitgirl June 11, 2019 - 8:12 PM - 8:12 PM

I always call the city neighborhood enforcement ,take pictures and email them, and them come out right away. I have zero patience for my neighborhood looking like that and its violating code. not that hard people. I call year round for junk etc. I will not tolerate my property value for lazy .

Ming June 11, 2019 - 9:25 PM - 9:25 PM

You’re right Gizmo.

Whoe Jim June 11, 2019 - 10:19 PM - 10:19 PM

Let’s face it folks, some people don’t care about fire safety on their properties. Sometimes all that’s required is to weed wack and clear debris.
What’s also a travesty is some people continue to improve their homes which increases everyones property values, while others do the opposite by neglecting to do any maintenance or repairs… some of those improvements don’t always require money but just a bit of good old fashion elbow grease…

LD June 12, 2019 - 8:04 AM - 8:04 AM

We removed a full gas can sitting in the sun on dry grass in front of someone’s home yesterday. Reported to the city, code enforcement and the fire dept. They did seem to care.

WC Resident June 12, 2019 - 8:43 AM - 8:43 AM

If you like rules and a neat ‘n tidy world then move to a development with an HOA. Of course, they might shut down your swim team on a whim.

Many people are not fond of nanny states. For the most part, they tend to look after their neighbors rather than demanding that the nanny state deal with it. The elderly can still live on their own and the yards get mowed.

Concernicus June 13, 2019 - 1:03 AM - 1:03 AM

Maybe if people did what needs to be done without being told, they wouldn’t need the state to be their nanny. If you want to go live out in the wild where there aren’t any rules, feel free to move to Slab City. Living in a society isn’t only about you.

Mary Fouts June 12, 2019 - 10:33 AM - 10:33 AM

Con Fire also has a weed abatement program. They send out notices to property owners in early April. If weeds not removed by some date in May, a contracted crew weed wacks the property and property is leined by Con Fire District.

Thus happened at the slumlord rental house across from me. I watched the crew arrive, snap a few pics, and they cleared both front and back yards
Weeds were about same height as those on video. I later looked on coco county recorded docs and the property was leined.

Don’t know if Con Fire sends out such notices year round. But if any of you have overgrown dry weed concerns, you might also try calling Con Fire District offices and see if they can help.

chuckie the troll June 12, 2019 - 12:18 PM - 12:18 PM

How and where did this fire start? Was it on ‘Public Land’ by any chance. I’ve noticed that a lot of our parks and open space are poorly maintained with little regard for fire safety. We (the taxpayer) buy it, and then there is no money to properly manage it.

Captain Bebops June 12, 2019 - 12:56 PM - 12:56 PM

Does this weed abatement thing include parks? A lot of the parks are overgrown with weeds, for instance the Regional Shoreline Park has weeds almost 5 feet tall. The nearby city park has lots of weeds too. No way will this get done by the 16th.

There seemed to be an outbreak of foxtail this year with many yards in my area overrun with it. Someone’s going to become a millionaire making a weed puller that can handle those in bunches. Convention weed puller devices are set for one weed at a time going for the root. Foxtail pulls up easy and could be done in bunches. My experiment with modifying a “grabber” with metal plates failed because foxtail is also slick and just slid right through.

Fred June 13, 2019 - 1:16 PM - 1:16 PM

poorly managed houses are attractive to vagrants, meth heads and general free loaders. If owners don’t maintain them (many our owned by REIT) post a notice to clean it up. 30 days, then clean it up, post a lean, give the 30 days to pay up, foreclose and sell asap to someone who can use the home

imrereurrere June 13, 2019 - 2:20 PM - 2:20 PM

Be sure you don’t have any mirrors or glass,broken or otherwise.These will start a fire in a heartbeat.So if you have any of these outside,cover them up or remove when possible.


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