Fire concerns grow in South Natomas where neighbors illegally encroached onto city land
SOUTH NATOMAS - There are growing fire concerns over overgrown grass in a South Natomas neighborhood.
It is the same area along Ninos Parkway between West El Camino Avenue and San Juan Road where CBS13 first reported earlier this month that some neighbors are illegally encroaching onto city land behind their homes.
Some South Natomas neighbors are taking fire mitigation on city land into their own hands.
"My son just kept mowing it until he just went out so far to their fence, so it will sort of look better back here," said Joh Godfrey who lives along Ninos Parkway.
For 28 years, Godfrey and his family have been mowing the lawn several feet behind their property.
"It looks terrible," said Godfrey. "This high stuff."
The overgrown vegetation is not surrounding every house that has an illegally extended yard.
"We don't know what's going on with the city or who is supposed to be taking care of it," said Godfrey.
CBS13 reached out to the City of Sacramento multiple times. A spokesperson from there said they are working to find the answer.
Sacramento's code enforcement said it is responsible for weed abatement enforcement on private property, but when it comes to city land, it is up to the parks division.
Sacramento Fire also confirmed that it is out of its jurisdiction to create projects in this area of the city, but it said it is aware of the issue out here.
With no answer from the city, neighbors said they will continue to whack away weeds in the stretch of land that has seen multiple fires in the past.
"We just try and take care of it ourselves," said Godfrey. They don't really focus on this."
Code enforcement said in the past, the city has hired contractors to do some of the mowing along the path.
When we first reported the encroachment story nearly two weeks ago, the city said it would send a letter to homeowners.
Some homeowners with extended properties CBS13 spoke with said they have not received any notice or letter from the city.