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WEBVTT EVERYYEAR FOR FIRE FEES.BUT PEOPLE HERE HAVE BEENFIGHTING THOSE FEES FOR YEARSCALLING THEM DOUBLE TAXATION.,>> THE DIVIDING LINE BETWEENTHE LOCAL RESPONSIBILITY AREAAND THE STATE RESPONSIBILIAREA IS THE CENTER LINE CAMERON PARK DRIVE.MIKE: STEVEN LONG IS IN THE FIREFEE ZONE, BUT SOME OF HISCAMERON PARK NEIGHBORS ARE NOTBECAUSE OF THE WAY THE MAPS AREDRAWN.>> WE ARE ALREADY PAYING CALFIFOR FIRE PROTECTION, AND ITCOVERS THE ENTIRE DISTRICT.MIKE: FIRE FEES FOR SOME 800,000PROPERTY OWNERS LIVING IN RURALAND SUBURBAN AREAS WILL SOON BESUSPENDED ONCE GOVERNOR BROWNSIGNS THE GLOBAL WARMINGSOLUTIONS ACT AS EXPECTED LATERTHIS WEEFOR STEVEN LONG, THAT'S ASAVINGS OF $117 A YEAR.>> IT'S BETTER THAN NOTHING.BUT SUSPENSION MEANS IT COULDCOME BACK IN 10 YEARS.MIKE: THE DEAL REMOVING FIREFEES EXPIRES IN 2030, AND THAT'SWHY EL DORADO HILLS SENATOR TEDGAINES IS PUSHING TO ELIMINATETHE FIRE FEES ONCE AND FOR ALL.>> IT COULD COME BACK.IT'S ALWAYS USED AS A CARD INNEGOTIATIONS.THE GOVERNOR DOESN'T GIVEANYTHING AWAY.MIKE: DOUG RISCHBIETER IS ALSOFIGHTING THE FIRE FEES HE'S BEENPAYING ON HIS RURAL PROPERTY. HE'S FILED A LAWSUIT AGAINST CALFIRE, WHICH HAS COLLECTED $400MILLION IN THE PAST FIVE YEARSTO HELP OFFSET THE RISING COSTSOF PREVENTING WILDFIRES IN FASTGROWING NEW DEVELOPMENTS INRURAL AND SUBURBAN AREAS.DOUG RISCHBIETER WANTS THATMONEY RETURNED TO HOMEOWNERS.>> WE PAY TAXES TO OUR LOCFIRE DISTRICT, AND SOONER ORLATER, THERE'S GOT TO BE A PLACEWHERE YOU DRAW THE LINE.

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A controversial fire fee for homeowners has gone up in smoke -– at least for now -- under the climate change deal approved Monday night by the California Legislature as part of the cap-and-trade deal.The deal provides relief to more than 730,000 property owners living in rural and suburban areas of the state. In the past, homeowners paid about $117 a year in wildfire prevention fees, totaling about $479 million in fire fees since the program first began in 2011. But, many have been fighting the fees for years, calling them a double taxation. “We are already paying Cal Fire for fire protection and it covers the entire district,” Cameron Park homeowner Steven Long said. Long is in the fire-fee zone, even though some of his Cameron Park neighbors are not, because of the way the maps are drawn. Those fees will be suspended if Gov. Jerry Brown signs Assembly Bill 398, the Global Warming Solutions Act as he is expected to do later this week. 7 things to know about California's extended climate change initiative“I appreciate that it's being suspended,” Long said. “I still think it should be repealed."As for saving $117, Long said, “It's better than nothing, but suspension means it could come back in 10 years.” The deal that removes the fire fees expires in 2030, and that’s why Sen. Ted Gaines, from El Dorado Hills, is pushing to eliminate the fire fees once and for all under Senate Bill 9.“It could come back,” Gaines said. “It's always used as a card in negotiations. The governor doesn't give anything away.”Doug Rischbieter is also fighting the fire fees that he’s been paying on his rural property in Calaveras County. He’s filed a lawsuit against Cal Fire over the more than $400 million in fire fees, demanding that the money be returned to homeowners. “We pay taxes to our local fire district, and sooner or later, there's got to be a place where you draw the line,” Rischbieter said. “This tax is redundant. It was passed illegally.”Cal Fire is being defended in the lawsuit by the attorney general’s office. Cal Fire insists the fire fees are legal and that the issue will be resolved in court.