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Chico Aims To Douse Couch Fires

With the Pioneer Day parade and St. Patrick’s Day already tackled, Chico officials last night threw water on another unseemly youthful tradition.

“I don’t know what the fascination is about anybody setting a couch on fire,” said Chico City Manager Mark Orme.

According to information provided to the City Council Tuesday night, there’s a lot. Fire department officials claim that they’ve been dispatched to more than 100 furniture-related arson fires over the past year.

The council, long eager to quash the town’s reputation for exuberant, alcohol-fueled revelry, moved to remove any temptation. Copying an ordinance placed on the books in San Luis Obispo, the council moved to prohibit residents from keeping a couch or other upholstered furniture on any porch if visible from a street or sidewalk.

Orme said enforcement won’t be limited to student-heavy neighborhoods.  

“It’s going to be enforced whenever there’s a potential hazard or threat that’s determined,” he said.

Orme said enforcement will prioritize education over fines.