Wildfire risk prompts Cal Fire to suspend burn permits in these Northern California counties
Starting next week, outdoor residential burning permits in areas across Northern California will be suspended to reduce the risk of wildfires.
Large quantities of dead grass plus the mix of hot and dry conditions across the region led to the decision, according to statements from Cal Fire’s Nevada-Yuba-Placer and Tehama-Glenn units.
The suspension will apply to Nevada, Yuba, Placer, Sierra, Tehama and Glenn and Butte counties.
The increasing fire danger posed by the high volume of dead grass and hotter, drier conditions in the region is prompting CAL FIRE to suspend all burn permits for outdoor residential burning within Nevada, Yuba, Placer and Sierra Counties as of Monday, June 26, 2023 at 8 AM. pic.twitter.com/i1073CxC5t
— CAL FIRE Nevada-Yuba-Placer Unit (@CALFIRENEU) June 20, 2023
In Tehama and Glenn counties, the suspension doesn’t apply to the incorporated cities and the communities of Mineral, Childs Meadow, Deer Creek and Mill Creek.
What it means
Starting 8 a.m. on Monday, June 26, outdoor residential burning of debris like branches and leaves won’t be allowed until further notice.
The rule applies to residential landscape debris burns of dead vegetation, agency-sponsored and agricultural burn projects and broadcast burns.
The suspension of burn permits doesn’t include campfires, according to statements from Cal Fire. The fire must be within an organized campground or on private property and should be maintained to prevent its spread. Campfire permits are available online.
What you should do
Be sure to keep a minimum of 100 feet of defensible space around every home and be prepared to evacuate.
According to Ready for Wildfire, defensible space is the buffer created between your home and the land that surrounds it including trees and shrubs.
Here are tips, according to Cal Fire, to help prepare homes for wildfires:
▪ Clear dead vegetation from around the home
▪ Plant fire resistant plants and landscape with non-flammable ground cover
▪ Chip or haul landscape debris
As of Tuesday morning, Cal Fire’s Sonoma-Lake-Napa and Amador-El Dorado units have not issued residential burn permit suspensions.
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