CAMINO After a wet winter, warming temperatures are quickly drying out the abundant annual grass crop. 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 the State
Responsibility Area of Amador, El Dorado, Sacramento, and Alpine Counties. This suspension takes effect Monday July 3rd, 2017 and bans all residential outdoor burning of landscape debris such as branches and leaves.
We are asking that residents not be lulled into a false sense of security on the heels of an exceptionally wet winter, said Chief Ken Pimlott, CAL FIRE director. The abundant dead grass will only serve as a fuse to the heavier vegetation still suffering the lasting effects of 5 years of extreme drought.
Conditions throughout our region have become such that it is no longer safe for the public to perform residential debris burning. We need everyone to make sure they are performing defensible space clearing in a safe way. Make sure you are using the right tool for the right job, at the right time of day said Scott
Lindgren CAL FIRE Amador- El Dorado Unit Chief.
Since January 1, 2017 CAL FIRE and firefighters across the state have already responded to over 2,135 wildfires. While outdoor burning of landscape debris by homeowners is no longer allowed, CAL FIRE is asking residents 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.
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/drought tolerant plants
· Find alternative ways to dispose of landscape debris like chipping or hauling it to a biomass energy or green waste facility
