With the winter snow gone and temperatures rising, it’s a popular time to clean around the outside of your home. There are safe procedures to remember when performing these yearly chores. Riverside Fire Chief Chad Smothers provides advice for burning leaves and brush outside your home, “They want to burn that stuff which is fine to do. Obviously try to not do it on a windy day, try to have a water source readily available. Obviously don’t be burning that stuff close to or nearby any structures. What we see the most calls to is typically a controlled burn or something that gets out of control from the property owner that’s trying to clean up the outside of their residence or property.” Burning garbage is not advisable, Smothers mentions, though he sees residents try to get away with it. For the typical grilling months ahead Smothers warns people to grill a safe distance away from structures in case any mishap would occur.