Speaking of wildfires ...
A few years back, Lake Tahoe has a fire that simply erased a street or two from the map. Every home completely consumed, save one - which sat untouched, amidst a sea of charcoal.
That one house .... it's owner was currently facing charges for illegally removing the accumulated pine needles and brush from the government-encouraged 30-ft 'clear space' around his home.
That is, the Forest Service and Fire Marshal 'encouraged' homeowners to maintain a defensible space around their homes. The Tahoe Regional Planning Authority, OTOH, forbade any activity that altered the natural state of the land. Despite quick denials, it was proven that TRPA had, indeed, started CRIMINAL proceedings against this homeowner.
TRPA went into 'damage control mode,' where they asserted that their policies were misunderstood, all the man needed do was apply for a permit, etc., - despite TRPA's own website, which told a different tale indeed. The TRPA's own site made clear that you were to NEVER disturb the ground cover, even to the extent of collecting pine needles, for fear of rainwater runoff carrying debris into the lake - and that there was no 'permit' available, save those pursuant to a full-blown environmental assay, required for new construction.
Amazingly enough, charges against the sole surviving homeowner were quietly dropped. This time - there's no reason they won't cite him again in a few years, when the trees are replanted.
Small wonder homeowners look upon the "authorities" as the enemy.
