Cal Fire transitions out of wildfire season Dec. 21
Recent snows and cooler temperatures across the region have lowered the threat of wildfires allowing Cal Fire’s Lassen-Modoc Unit to transition out of peak fire season effective Monday, Dec. 21, at 8 a.m. in Lassen, Modoc and Plumas counties.
Cal Fire will continue to maintain staffing to meet any potential threat, as well as maintaining the ability to strategically move resources to areas that remain at a higher threat level. Cal Fire will also continue to monitor weather conditions closely and will increase staffing should weather conditions change or if there is a need to support wildfires or other emergencies in other areas of the State.
The 2020 fire season was an active year, even more so than 2019. Statewide, Cal Fire and firefighters from many local and federal agencies responded to over 9,639 wildfires that burned 4,257,059 acres. In the Lassen-Modoc Unit, Cal Fire had three major fires, the Hog Fire, the Gold Fire and the Sheep Fire that charred nearly 62,000 acres.
During the cooler winter months, Cal Fire will continue to actively focus efforts on fire prevention and fuels treatment activities as guided by the State’s Strategic Fire Plan and localized Unit fire plans. These will be done through public education, prescribed burns and various types of fuel reduction projects. These activities are aimed at reducing the impacts of large, damaging wildfires, public safety and improving overall forest health.
Residents are urged to still take precautions outdoors to prevent sparking a wildfire. A leading cause of wildfires this time of year is from escaped landscape debris burning. Before you burn, ensure it is a permissive burn day by contacting your local air pollution control district. During burning, make sure that piles of landscape debris are no larger than four feet in diameter, provide a 10-ft. clearance down to bare mineral soil around the burn pile and ensure that a responsible adult is in attendance at all times with a water source and a shovel.
