As of Sept. 7, all open burning in Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties is suspended due to critically dry vegetation, dangerous fire weather and multiple fires in the state including the CZU Lightning Complex.
Camp fires within maintained and organized campgrounds will be allowed and must prevent spread into the wildland.
“This year has brought the largest and most damaging wildfire in recorded history to the San Mateo-Santa Cruz Unit caused from lightning,” said Ian Larkin Cal Fire San Mateo-Santa Cruz Unit Chief. “Suspending burn permits is one way to reduce the potential risk for human-caused wildfires in our area while there are still many weeks of fire season ahead of us. The public cannot let their guard down and must continue to use extreme caution with any situation that could spark a fire.”
Since Aug. 15 across California there have been nearly 14,000 lightning strikes, more than 900 fires and 23 major fires. More than 1.6 million acres have burned and there have been 8 fatalities.
Cal Fire asks homeowners to maintain 100 feet of “Defensible Space” around their home and other buildings on their property and be prepared to evacuate if the time comes.
Agriculture, land management, fire training, and industrial-type burning may proceed if a Cal Fire official inspects the burn site and issues a special permit.
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For information on how to create Defensible Space, on how to be prepared for wildfires, and tips to prevent wildfires, visit www.ReadyForWildfire.org. See Twitter: https://twitter.com/CALFIRECZU