RESIDENTS CONFUSED OVER BRUSH RULES.

Byline: Deborah Sullivan Staff Writer

As the Los Angeles Fire Department reinspects 31,000 properties that failed to meet brush clearance requirements, residents said Tuesday that they remain confused about the rules and fear that they face unfair fines.

Simplified brush clearance instructions were supposed to have been mailed to property owners, but the letter was scrapped when the City Council revoked a $13 inspection fee.

Fire Chief William Bamattre said residents who receive citations can call the department to ask about problems on specific parcels. Bamattre acknowledged it would have been simpler for everyone if the revised letter had been sent.

``We recognize that we will have to address that now through a more labor-intensive process, rather than the benefit we would have derived from a more definitive letter of clarification,'' he said.

He said department officials would meet with the mayor, council and top city administrators to discuss how to resolve lingering concerns about the brush clearance program.

Residents were upset that they could be fined $204 without being told clearly how to correct the problem.

``Everybody's in a quandary because they keep getting different signals,'' said Gordon Murley, president of the Woodland Hills Homeowners Association. ``Everybody I talk to says, What was I in noncompliance with?''

Another mailing would have cleared up pervasive misunderstandings about brush clearance regulations, Bamattre said. For instance, the original instructions appeared to require property owners to destroy ornamental trees. But revised wording explains that ground cover, shrubbery and individual trees are allowed as long as they don't readily spread fires to a building.

But those revised guidelines were never mailed to property owners. On June 11, the council revoked a hotly contested $13 brush clearance inspection fee, and killed plans to reissue a fee notification letter that would have included the new clearance instructions.

Some property owners said they thought the Fire Department would eschew fines this year in light of the mix-ups, but fire officials said that's not the case.

``If I were to get a fine I would be really surprised because this was supposed to be on hold for the rest of the fire season,'' said Sylmar resident Al Brill. ``Candidly, I don't have a clue what I'm supposed to be doing.''

If property owners still don't comply, the department will start issuing fines in July.

Although residents don't have to pay $13 to have their property inspected, they still might have to pay a $204 fine for failure to clear brush, and could have to pay hundreds or thousands more if the department clears their brush for them, said Fire Marshal Jimmy Hill.

``They are still responsible to clear their land,'' he said. ``The only thing that changed was that the $13 inspection fee was revoked.''

Fire Commissioner Dave Fleming said the city owes it to property owners to make sure they understand their obligations, and said the department should issue a final letter explaining that in simple terms.

``I think everybody in this city should know with great clarity what is expected of them as homeowners,'' he said. ``If they have questions, it's incumbent upon us to answer them.''

Who to call Los Angeles city residents whose property has been cited for brush-clearance problems can call the Fire Department at [phone] to ask about their specific parcel.

CAPTION(S):

photo, box

Photo: A firefighter looks for hot spots above Cahuenga Pass.

David Crane/Daily News

Box: Who to call (see text)