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MANTECA-

Manteca firefighters are taking on the role of police starting Thursday, checking on fire hazards in lawns.

It’s the fifth year in a row the department will issue warnings and give fines for dry brush, dead trees, weeds, trash and debris on lawns.

“We’re looking for issues like this and we’re going to send out notice of violations to anyone who doesn’t comply with the local ordinance,” Manteca Fire Marshall Lantz Rey said.

If your lawn is seen as a fire hazard, you’ll first be given two warnings.

If you ignore the warnings, you will face a $100 fine.

Repeat offenders will get a $200 fine.

Sounds like a lot, but firefighters are worried about the months ahead.

“This year’s kind of special. It’s going to be exceptionally dry,” Rey said.

It will be even more dry than last year when three acres of dry brush helped flames bring down five buildings in Manteca.

The three-alarm fire happened right now the street from the fire station on South Union Road.

Embers sprinkled Elizabeth Wilson’s backyard nearby when the fast moving flames swallowed nearby homes. She feared she’d lose her home in the fire.

“It was scary. Really scary. Everyone was running back and forth, getting hoses and putting water on the roofs,” said Wilson.

Wilson hopes last year’s fire will motivate people like Luanne Trainer to mow her lawn.

Trainer’s brush is about six inches tall and covers a small part of her lawn, but Rey says she would still get a notice for it.

“I wouldn’t have thought these would be a problem because they’re so green,” said Trainer.

Trainer said her lawn mower broke last year, but she’s ready to start mowing to avoid a fine and a fuel for future fires.