Cal Fire Suspends Burning

Written by Union Democrat staff | June 14, 2012 01:31 pm

Cal Fire has announced it will suspend all debris-burning permits in the Tuolumne-Calaveras county coverage area effective 8 a.m. Monday.

Affected areas include all of Tuolumne and Calaveras counties as well as eastern Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties.

“The extended weather forecast shows that our region is entering the typical hot, dry summer weather pattern,” said Tuolumne-Calaveras Unit Chief Brian Kirk. “Suspending debris burning is an effective way of preventing wildfires caused by escaped debris burns, especially as California enters this period of hotter, drier weather.”

All previously approved dooryard and large-scale project burn permits will be rescinded. Any project burn permits must be inspected and approved before they can be re-issued, according to the Cal Fire declaration.

Campfires within organized campgrounds or on private property are only acceptable if the purpose of the campfire is for cooking or providing warmth and is maintained in such a manner as to prevent the campfire from spreading to wildland vegetation, the declaration stated.

All other burning will be prohibited until the suspension is formally lifted by Kirk.

Cal Fire said it will continue monitoring weather conditions and will only lift the suspension when “soaking, wetting rains” return to the region, which typically occurs in October or November.

The annual suspension generally comes sometime after the beginning of fire season, which started this year on May 21.

Since the season began, Cal Fire has already responded to several small wildfires in its Tuolumne-Calaveras responsibility area that it determined were sparked by escaped debris burns.

The declaration states that past fire history combined with dry vegetation and predicted fire weather prompted the decision to suspend the permits.