Cal Fire suspends burn permits in Plumas County beginning Saturday
After a wet winter and above average snowpack, warming temperatures and winds are quickly drying out the abundant annual grass crop. 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 the State Responsibility Area of Lassen, Modoc, and Plumas counties.
This suspension takes effect at 8 a.m. Saturday, July 15, banning all residential outdoor burning of landscape debris.
While outdoor burning of landscape debris by homeowners is no longer allowed, Cal Fire is asking residents to take that extra time to prepare their homes for wildfire by creating defensible space and hardening your home ahead of wildfires.
Here are some 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 like chipping or hauling it to a biomass energy or green waste facility.
The department may issue restricted temporary burning permits if there is an essential reason. 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 of burn permits for residential landscape debris does not apply to campfires within organized campgrounds or on private property. Campfires on private property require written permission from the owner in the event the property owner is not present. Campfires must be maintained in such a manner as to prevent its spread to the wildland. A valid campfire permit is required and can be obtained online at www.ReadyForWildfire.org.
For more information on how to create defensible space, home hardening, evacuation planning and how to be prepared for wildfires, as well as tips to prevent wildfires, visit www.ReadyForWildfire.org.
