State Provides Exemption to Those Whose Homes Were Destroyed By Fires
Sacramento – (RealEstateRama) — As the State’s annual Fire Prevention Fee bills begin to be mailed out, CAL FIRE is working with counties to ensure homeowner’s whose homes were destroyed in last year’s wildfires receive an exemption from paying the fee. Officials have endeavored to remove addresses of homes known to have been destroyed by natural disasters since July 1, 2015. However, should homeowners still receive a bill; CAL FIRE has a number of resources to assist them through the exemption process.
The exemption form can be found at www.FirePreventionFee.org.
“2015’s fire season was an extremely destructive year and we know that for many the rebuilding process continues,” said Staff Chief Dave Shew, CAL FIRE’s xyz. “That’s why we have worked hard to exempt those homeowners and have staff available to help homeowner’s should they receive a bill.”
The Fire Prevention Fee was signed into law in 2011 and established a fee for fire prevention services within the 31 million acres of State Responsibility Area (SRA). Information about the fee as well as the exemption form for those whose homes were destroyed can be found at www.FirePreventionFee.org.
Additionally, a customer service call center is staffed Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (except holidays) to further aid homeowners that have questions about the Fire Prevention Fee. The call center number is 1-888-310-6447.
The revenue generated from the fee pays for vital fire prevention services within the SRA. Fire prevention services funded by the fee include strategic fuel reduction activities, defensible space inspections, fire prevention engineering, emergency evacuation planning, fire prevention education, fire hazard severity mapping, implementation of the State’s and local Fire Plans, and fire related law enforcement activities such as fire cause determination and arson investigation.
Under the law, the Board of Equalization (BOE) is responsible for collecting the fee. The bills scheduled for mailing this summer are for Fiscal Year 2015/16, which includes July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2016. The fee applies to the homeowner of record as of July 1, 2015, for all habitable structures within the SRA. The BOE will begin mailing the bills alphabetically by county on March 5, 2016.
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CONTACT: Daniel Berlant
Information Officer
(916) 651-FIRE (3473)
@CALFIRE_PIO
