Peak Fire Season Ends Monday
San Andreas, CA – The CAL Fire Tuolumne Calaveras Unit (TCU) says the recent rains and cooler temperatures have lowered the threat of wildland fires, allowing for the transition out of peak fire season.
Effective Monday, December 4, at 8 a.m., burn permits will no longer be needed in Tuolumne, Calaveras, Eastern Stanislaus, and Eastern San Joaquin Counties.
“Although CAL FIRE burn permits are not required at this time, residents must take appropriate precautions to prevent sparking a wildfire. If residents choose to burn, it is their responsibility to maintain control of their fire,” says TCU Unit Chief Nick Casci.
The public will still need to make sure it is a burn day. That can be done easily by checking the mymotherlode.com home page, which is updated daily. Residents are urged to still take precautions outdoors to prevent sparking a wildfire, as escaped debris burns are the leading cause of wildfires in the unit.
“While burning, make sure that piles of landscape debris are a manageable size, provide 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,” advised CAL Fire TCU officials. “Furthermore, individuals choosing to debris burn can be held criminally responsible should their fire escape their control.”
The unit will continue to maintain staffing to meet potential threats while maintaining the ability to strategically move resources to areas that remain at a higher threat level. Weather conditions will be monitored closely, with the ability to increase staffing should weather conditions change or if there is a need to support wildfires or other emergencies throughout the state, according to CAL Fire TCU.
Statewide in 2023, agencies responded to over 6,850 wildfires that burned 319,927 acres. Fire prevention and fuels treatment activities will be the units’ focus during the cooler winter months. CAL Fire officials detailed, “These will be done through public education, prescribed burns and various types of fuel reduction. These activities are aimed at reducing the impacts of large, damaging wildfires, public safety, and improving overall forest health.”
