By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Man clearning dry weeds; Creative Commons image by SA-NC

April 8, 2020 (San Diego’s East County) – If you need brush cleared or weed abatement to prevent fires, those are essential services that are allowed to continue despite COVID-19 stay-home orders in the state and county.  Removing or pruning dead or dying trees to prevent them from falling is also an essential service. Gardening for purposes not related to safety or sanitation, however, are not allowed.

East County Magazine received clarification from state and federal agencies to confirm these facts, after a worker hired to clear weeds in the Mt. Helix area told our editor that he was stopped by law enforcement and told to go home, or face a $1,000 fine and arrest. A property owner in a rural area also advised ECM of a weed abatement worker ordered home by a law enforcement officer.

Property owners are required by law to maintain defensible space around their homes.  Brush clearing and weed abatement are especially important now, since Cal Fire and the U.S. Forest Service have both suspended controlled burns in order to avoid aggravating lung conditions in residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The California Department of Public Health’s office of public affairs sent the following response to our inquiry regarding brush clearing, weed abatement, removal of dead trees and pruning for safety’s sake: