Al Gray got an unexpected knock on his door this week. Two state fire inspectors wanted to talk to him about the height of the grass and the size of the trees on his property just outside Napa. While such fire-safety visits are not uncommon in rural areas, the number taking place this year - and how early in the spring they're occurring - is unprecedented. As part of a statewide ramping up of fire suppression, hundreds of inspectors are fanning out to make sure homeowners like Gray are preparing for a potentially historic season of flames. "I usually keep things pretty clear," Gray told the inspectors as they walked across his land. "I mow the grass by hand, and I just took a few trees...
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