The extended rainy season coupled with the temperatures surpassing 70 degrees has triggered an explosive growth of weeds.

And as the mercury climbs drying the weeds out, the fire hazard grows.

A spot check of weeds around Manteca Tuesday — including on city property such as the Tidewater Bikeway along Moffat Boulevard where the homeless have been camping off and on and starting fires for cooking — shows some weeds have surpassed 4 feet or more.

That’s eight times the allowable height of 6 inches.

The city’s annual weed abatement program kicks off May 1

Those with weeds in excess of the maximum of 6 inches will be cited.

While fires that cause significant property losses are often tied to more rural areas, cities in the Northern San Joaquin Valley have not been immune.

A grass fire along Interstate 5 in 2019 fueled a fire that led to 36 homes in a north Stockton neighborhood being destroyed when winds quickly spread the flames,

Three homes were lost west of Manteca three years ago due to a grass fire..

Twenty-five years ago, smoke from a grass fire in the southeast quadrant of the 120 Bypass and Highway 99 interchange caused a northbound driver on Highway 99 to drive off the freeway toward the fire.

And elderly passenger died of smoke inhalation.

A city ordinance governs property owners’ responsibility to control weeds or other growth on their property to reduce fire hazards.

The Manteca Fire Prevention Bureau is responsible for administering this program.

  If a violation exists, the property owner will receive a written notice of violation requesting the property owner to cut the weeds or vegetation within 30 days of the written notice.

If the property owner fails to comply within the given time, the City will then proceed to hire an independent contractor to mow the property.

The owner will be responsible for the cost of the contractor’s work.

In addition to the abatement costs, the property owner will also receive a municipal infraction citation with a mandatory penalty of $100 for the first offense, $200 for the second offense, and $500 for each subsequent offense.

Manteca’s weed

abatement rules

 Specifically, the following standards apply within Manteca’s city limits:

• Property of 1/2 acre or more: Mow all vegetation to a maximum of 4 to 6 inches in height. Remove all grass, weeds or debris from the property. Disc or till the entire property. (In the process of abating property, keep dust production to a minimum to ensure compliance with Manteca Municipal Code Section 8.17 - Prevention of airborne sand, soil or dust traveling to neighboring properties in visible amounts.)

• Property of 1/2 acre or less: Mow all vegetation to a maximum of 4 to 6 inches in height. Rake and remove all dry grass.

• Trees and shrubs: All dead trees, shrubs and bushes must be cut down and removed from the property. Prunings must also be removed from the property.

• Alleys: Mow all grass and/or weeds to a maximum of 4 to 6 inches in height. Fence lines must be clean and free of weeds. Any and all combustibles must be removed. This includes, but is not limited to trash, rubbish, dry grass, prunings, clippings, auto parts and furniture. Property owners are responsible for the maintenance of the alley from the property line to the center of the alley.

• All properties: All weeds, rubbish, excess dirt, trash, dry vegetation, discarded furniture, appliances, garbage, auto parts or other material which constitutes a public nuisance, must be abated from the property fence line to fence line.

If you have questions about the Weed Abatement Program or want to report a property that is not being maintained, call the Fire Prevention Bureau at (209) 456-8340

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com