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ByDonThompson TheAssociatedPress SACRAMENTO Amid the most destructive wild- fire season in more than a decade, California's fire- fighting agency amped up its warnings to thou- sands of property owners who weren't doing enough to protect their homes by clearing brush and other flammable materials. But it rarely put any mus- cle behind the threats: Vi- olators were fined just 4 percent of the time, down from 10 percent when the drought was declared four years ago, according to Cal- ifornia Department of For- estry and Fire Protection statistics requested by The Associated Press. State law requires prop- erty owners in wildfire- prone areas to clear com- bustible materials near buildings and allows cita- tions starting at $100 for those who fail to do so. A third offense brings a mis- demeanor charge and a $500 fine. The latest statistics show the number and rate of cita- tions issued in the year end- ing June 30 were lower than when California's drought began. The rate of home- owners disobeying the law also increased during that period. "There are people out there that won't do it un- less they are forced to," said Mike Warren. A fire- fighter for 40 years, includ- ing seven in California as Sequoia National Park's fire management officer, War- ren wants more aggressive enforcement to protect fire- fighters. "Not getting the clearance done puts fire- fighters at risk." CalFire recorded about 29,000 violations last year, but imposed just 1,136 fines. Four years ago, there were 12,000 violations and just under 1,200 fines. CalFire spokeswoman Ja- net Upton said inadequate protection was a significant factor in the loss of homes this fall in a wildfire that burned through in Ama- dor and Calaveras counties in the Sierra Nevada foot- hills. More violations were found there than in any other CalFire unit last year. While more than a third of inspections found poorly protected properties, Cal- Fire issued citations there at less than half the state- wide rate. "The worst penaliza- tion of a homeowner who chooses not to comply is if their house burns down," Upton said. "If you have been living in these areas and don't think it can hap- pen, you haven't been pay- ing attention." CalFire Director Ken Pimlott said the general ap- proach is to educate home- owners rather than issue ci- tations. "We need that tool, be- cause there are just those individuals, for whatever reason, (who) aren't inter- ested in complying," he said. "I would rather have those individuals under- stand what we're doing and now become the messenger for their community." He also defended pol- icies that mean enforce- ment varies dramatically from county to county. For instance, the Kern County Fire Department writes a citation for every violation it finds, by far the most of any county. By con- trast, Los Angeles County writes no citations for prop- erty owners who fail to clear brush. After months of repeated warnings and inspections, Los Ange- les County may eventually clear the brush and bill the property owner. With the tougher punish- ment, homeowners in Kern County were 10 times more likely to comply with the rules than in Los Angeles County, statistics show. Promoting compliance is "absolutely a priority," Pim- lott said. But, he said, re- sources and conditions vary widely across the state, and methods of enforcement should as well. In a bid to increase en- forcement, CalFire hired more than 50 inspectors last year to aid firefighters. Both spend part of their time doing the repeated property checks that are required before homeown- ers can be cited for ignor- ing multiple warnings, but the actual citations must be written by arson investiga- tors because they have law enforcement powers. Inspections increased last year, but not as much as was anticipated, Upton said. She said the program "didn't pan out as well as ex- pected" because firefighters were busy fighting drought- driven wildfires, arson in- vestigators were seeking the causes, and inspectors were often helping home- owners with drought-re- lated tree deaths and tree- killing bark beetles. The department is con- sidering adjustments to get better results, Pimlott said. The inspectors were hired using $900,000 from a fee imposed on ru- ral properties to help offset firefighting costs, drawing criticism from several state lawmakers who oppose what they call an illegal tax. "It just angers me to see that money is being spent in an inefficient way," said state Sen. Ted Gaines, R-El Dorado Hills, who repre- sents a large swath of rural California. He said money spent on additional inspec- tors should instead go to programs helping home- owners comply with the law. Assemblyman Frank Big- elow, R-O'Neals, who repre- sents the area burned in the Sierra foothills fire, said the money should go to thin- ning forests and removing brush that contributes to the spread of wildfires. Gaines, Bigelow and As- semblyman Don Wagner, R- Irvine, said CalFire should set the same standards for issuing citations statewide. If not, lawmakers should consider requiring equal enforcement, Gaines said. "It's one state with one challenge of wildfire state- wide," Gaines said. "Every- body ought to be treated in the same fashion." STATISTICS Fi re s af et y ru le c it at io ns l ag during California drought "T he w or st pen al iz at io n o f a ho me ow ner w ho ch oo se s n ot t o co mp ly i s i f t hei r ho us e b ur ns dow n. I f y ou ha ve b ee n l iv in g in t hes e a re as an d d on 't t hin k it c an h ap pen , you h av en 't be en p ay in g at te nt io n. " — C al Fir e s po ke sw om an J an et Up ton The Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO Rescue crews in Northern Califor- nia tranquilized a wayward seal that snarled traffic for two days by trying to cross a highway several times. A veterinarian using a pole-mounted tranquilizer sedated the 900-pound ele- phant seal Tuesday, and at least 12 people loaded the unconscious animal onto a tarp and then brought it to a waiting truck. Officials planned to ex- amine the pinniped and then take it to Point Reyes, where they'll release it back into the wild, the San Fran- cisco Chronicle reported. Before the seal was tran- quilized, a rescue worker in a kayak used a bullhorn to yell at the animal and try to scare it back into open water, but that ef- fort failed. The Marine Mammal Center and the San Pablo Bay National Marine Sanc- tuary first dispatched res- cue teams Monday after receiving reports of a seal blocking state Route 37. Officials said they have no idea why the seal, named "Tolay" by the rescue crews after the inlet she showed up in, was so determined to get away from the bay. "There's no water or food on the other side of 37, and we checked all along the freeway for anything she might be looking for. There's nothing," said Cali- fornia Highway Patrol Offi- cer Andrew Barclay. Barbie Halaska, a re- search assistant at the mammal center, said the wandering seal appeared healthy and fit, and ex- perts think she might be pregnant. "She's a beautiful animal who appears to be in per- fect health," Halaska said. Information from: San Francisco Chronicle, http:// www.sfgate.com NORTHERN CALIFORNIA CALIFORNIAHIGHWAYPATROL Wildlife experts from the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito attempt to corral an elephant seal that repeatedly tried to cross a highway, slowing traffic in Sonoma on Monday. Elephant seal determined to c ro ss Ca li fo rn ia f re ew ay By Jim Salter and Alan Scher Zagier The Associated Press ST. LOUIS The dangers from a rare winter flood did not let up Wednes- day, with officials keeping watch on 19 vulnerable le- vees along the Mississippi River and its tributaries as well as several smaller streams and lakes through- out Missouri and parts of Illinois. Swollen rivers and streams were pushed to heights not seen since the massive 1993 floods, caus- ing Illinois to transfer an unknown number of in- mates from a state prison and declare disasters gov- ernor in seven counties and prompting Missouri's gov- ernor to activate the Na- tional Guard to help di- vert traffic away from sub- merged roads. At least 20 deaths over several days in Missouri and Illinois were blamed on flooding, mostly involv- ing vehicles that drove onto swamped roadways, and at least two people were still missing Wednesday. Some parts of interstates in Mis- souri reopened, while oth- ers were still covered by water. In southwestern Mis- souri, residents of about 150 duplexes and homes in the tourist town of Branson had to evacuate Wednes- day when flooding from a manmade lake threatened. But the shopping district along the lake was still open, Fire Chief Ted Mar- tin said, adding, "it has been packed with people, and I don't know where all of them have come from." Sixty miles to the north in Pleasant Hope, the emer- gency management direc- tor said crews are looking for a missing motorist. "Nobody that is living has ever seen anything like this," Rick Davis said. Record flooding was projected in some Missis- sippi River towns after sev- eral days of torrential rain that also caused sewage to flow unfiltered into water- ways. The Meramec River near St. Louis was expected to get to more than 3 feet above the previous record by late this week. The river on Tuesday spilled over the top of the levee at West Al- ton, Missouri, about 20 miles north of St. Louis. Mayor William Richter ordered any of the town's approximate 520 residents who had not already evac- uated to get out of harm's way. Across the river, in Al- ton, Illinois, dozens of vol- unteers helped place sand- bags ahead of where wa- ter is expected to rise. Mayor Brant Walker said in a statement that flood- ing was expected at least in the basements of the down- town business district. The normally docile Bourbeuse River reached the roofs of a McDonald's, QuikTrip and several other businesses in the eastern Missouri town of Union, where the river reached an all-time high Tuesday. Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon activated the National Guard to assist with secu- rity in evacuated areas and to help keep road closure sites clear. Interstate 44, which had been closed on and off for the past few days, was closed Wednesday in southwest St. Louis County, but the westbound side of the interstate near the central Missouri town of Rolla reopened. Hun- dreds of smaller roads and highways were also closed across the two states, and flood warnings were in ef- fect. In southern Illinois, the Department of Corrections transferred an unspecified number of inmates from a state prison to other loca- tions because of flooding risks. The facility houses nearly 3,700 inmates. The Mississippi River is expected to reach nearly 15 feet above flood stage on Thursday at St. Louis, which would be the second- worst flood on record, be- hind only the devastating 1993 flood. The U.S. Coast Guard closed a 5-mile portion of the Mississippi River near St. Louis due to flooding. Capt. Martin Malloy cited high water levels and fast currents in the river, which is a vital transportation hub for barges that carry agricultural products and other goods. MISSISSIPPI RIVER Several levees monitored in Missouri; death toll rises to 20 JEFF ROBERSON — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Flood water covers Interstate 44, Wednesday in Valley Park, Missouri. | NEWS | REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2015 8 A