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Aiming to prevent a repeat of last year’s devastating CZU August Lightning Complex wildfire that burned 86,000 acres in two counties last summer, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention has suspended burn permits in San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties on Wednesday.
California is in its second consecutive year of drought. Warmer spring and summer temperatures, reduced snowpack, and earlier spring snowmelt due to climate change are creating longer and more intense dry seasons, which makes forests more susceptible to severe wildfire, Cal Fire said in a statement.
The increasing fire danger posed by dead grass and hotter, drier conditions in the region is prompting Cal Fire to suspend all burn permits for outdoor residential burning within its State Responsibility Area of San Mateo and Santa Cruz Counties. This suspension takes effect May 20 and bans all outdoor burning with the following exceptions: campfires within organized campgrounds or on private property. Campfires may be permitted if they are maintained in a way that prevents their spread to the wildland. A campfire permit can be obtained at local fire stations or online at PreventWildfireCA.org.
The department might also issue restricted temporary burning permits for essential public health and safety reasons. Agriculture, land management, fire training and other industrial-type burning may proceed if a Cal Fire official inspects the burn site and issues a special permit.
The suspension is in addition to the Backyard Burn suspension that was effective May 1, Cal Fire said.
“Last year, California experienced its most destructive fire season in the state’s known history. Together, we must continue to adapt and evolve to be able to withstand the intensity of these fires, keeping in mind that the only way to minimize the damage they cause is through education, prevention and mitigation efforts. We are relying on the public to be ready,” said Chief Thom Porter, Cal Fire director.
California firefighters are bracing for what could be another devastating wildfire season, the agency said. Since January 1, Cal Fire and firefighters across the state have already responded to more than 2,060 wildfires.
While the outdoor burning of landscape debris by homeowners is no longer allowed, Cal Fire is asking residents to take that extra time to ensure that they are prepared for wildfires by maintaining a minimum of 100 feet of “defensible space” around every home and building on their property, and to be prepared to evacuate if the time comes.
The agency also offered tips to help prepare homes and property:
— Clear all dead and or dying vegetation 100 feet from around all structures.
— Landscape with fire-resistant plants and non-flammable ground cover.
— Find alternative ways to dispose of landscape debris, such as chipping or hauling it to a biomass energy or green waste facility.
For additional information on how to create defensible space, home hardening, evacuation planning and how to be prepared for wildfires and tips to prevent wildfires, visit www.ReadyForWildfire.org.
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