North Bay fire abatement crews busy as work clearing brush stacks up
MILL VALLEY -- As the Bay Area moves further into fire season, there's a growing sense of urgency when it comes to making property as safe as possible.
In fact, finding someone to do that work may be a challenge, with many crews booked solid.
For Bob Emrich and his Firesafe Team, it was another day spent sawing and pulling their way through the hillsides of Mill Valley.
"Because Scotch Broom is really flammable. Sometimes they continue to go next year, but if you get them when they're young, they won't grow back," Emrich said.
Growing fire concerns are driving big demand for exactly the kind of work Emrich and his crews are doing ever day. He says everyone is looking to reduce their risk of fire outside their home.
"There's a good system going now where people say 'Hey, there's a bunch of stuff here. Come look at it,'" Emrich explained.
The stop Emrich and company were on when KPIX caught up with him was actually requested by the neighborhood's HOA.
"So we're on top of it every year," said a Mill Valley resident who gave her name as Eve. "We went around with the Mill Valley Fire Department and highlighted areas that needed additional work."
And with so much work to do, there is no time to waste. This crew seems to race from tree to tree.
"This is dead oak. It bit the dust a long time ago but it's still here," Emrich said.
And as soon as one job is done, it's on to the next job. In this case, it was about 20 minutes away and 50 feet off the ground.
"This pine tree, as you can see, is dead as a doornail. All the needles have turned brown," said Emrich.
A tree this size will take a different approach.
"The climber is the most valuable person on your crew," he said. "This guy has been in business for 24 years. He's incredible."
Before that tree can be fully dismantled, more requests for help have stacked up on Bob's phone as additional jobs accumulated. So for anyone who's having trouble lining up this kind of service, this is why; Fire worries have created more demand than crews can keep up with.
"Five years ago, a lot of people would say 'I don't really need to cut my stuff. I'm OK with it. There will never be a fire here,'" said Emrich. "Well they're not saying that now."
