Calaveras Enterprise

Burn permits to be required after May 1




Permits for burning within state responsibility areas of Tuolumne County, Calaveras County, Eastern Stanislaus County and Eastern San Joaquin County will be required May 1 at 8 a.m., according to a press release from the Tuolumne-Calaveras Unit of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).

Burn hours will not be restricted, but a transition to night time burning only may occur as weather conditions change.

The TCU is continuing to implement elevation based burning requirements. New burn permits will reflect Zone 1 (Below 3,500’) and Zone 2 (Above 3,500’).

Previously issued burn permits are still valid, but elevation and zone must be verified prior to burning.

“The goal of this program is to allow property owners at the higher elevations to utilize door yard burning to remove waste generated while creating and maintaining defensible space for a longer period of time, while minimizing the potential of escaped control debris burns at the lower elevations,” the release reads.

Permits will be available only during business hours Monday through Friday, at the following locations:

• Cal Fire Headquarters, 785 Mountain Ranch Road, San Andreas (closed from noon

to 1 p.m.)

• Altaville FFS, 125 N Main St, Angels Camp

• Arnold FFS, 2517 Hwy. 4, Arnold

• Blanchard FFS, 2990 Highway 132, La Grange

• Copperopolis FFS, 433 Main Street, Copperopolis

• Ebbetts Pass FPD, 1037 Blagen Road, Arnold

• Ebbetts Pass FPD Station 3, 40 Canyon View Drive, Hathaway Pines

• Esperanza FFS, 9740 Mountain Ranch Road, Mountain Ranch

• Green Springs FFS, 11600 La Grange Road, Jamestown

• Groveland FFS, 11700 Merrell Rd, Groveland

• Groveland CSD, 18930 Highway 120, Groveland

• Jamestown Station 76, 18249 4th Avenue, Jamestown

• Mono Village Station 51, 19500 Hillsdale Drive, Mono Village, Sonora

• Murphys FFS, 33 Apple Blossom Drive, Murphys

• Standard FFS, 18464 Striker Court, Sonora

• Stanislaus Consolidated Station # 24, 321 E Street, Waterford

• Stanislaus Consolidated Station # 28, 325 East G Street, Oakdale

• Stanislaus Consolidated Station # 29, 1700 Main Street, Knights Ferry

• Stanislaus Consolidated Station # 30, 13200 Valley Home Road, Oakdale

• Twain Harte FFS, 22978 Meadow Drive, Twain Harte

• USFS Calaveras Ranger Station, 5519 CA-4, Murphys, CA 95247

• West Point FFS, 22670 Highway 26, West Point

• Valley Springs FFS, 1855 New Hogan Parkway, Valley Springs

Burn permit terms include limiting pile size to a maximum of four feet in diameter by four feet in height and clearing down to bare mineral soil 10 feet from the outer edges of burn piles. Outdoor burning may be done only on permissive burn days.

Burn day status is determined based on air quality, or how quickly smoke will disperse. That said, property owners should never burn when it’s windy, even if it is a permissible burn day. Property owners should remain in attendance of their burn projects and have tools and water close by to suppress any escape from the burning operation.

“Getting your property ready for the coming fire season by creating and maintaining 100 feet of defensible space around all structures is an excellent way to protect not only your home, but your neighborhood and community as well,” according to Unit Chief Josh White.

Check burn day status by calling the Calaveras County Air Pollution Control District at (209) 754-6600.

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