Fire Season

Click on the following links for the PDF documents regarding Burning Suspension.

2008 Fire Season to Begin

San Andreas - On Tuesday, May 1, 2008, burn permits will be required within Tuolumne and Calaveras counties. Burning hours will be restricted to 7pm to 8 am on permissive burn days. Conditions are volatile in Tuolumne and Calaveras counties and both counties have experienced high, gusty winds on a regular basis this year, more than in previous years. The combination of low fuel moistures and high winds generally leads to an increase of escaped debris burns. These escaped debris burns threaten lives, property and forest resources. If current dry conditions continue without relief, the Tuolumne Calaveras Unit will suspend burning within the counties of Tuolumne, Calaveras, eastern Stanislaus, and eastern San Joaquin by May 12, 2008.

Chief Noonan wishes to remind citizens who conduct outdoor burning to remain in attendance of your burning project, have the tools and water necessary to suppress any fire that may escape from your burning operation.

Before starting a debris burn project check burn day status by calling your local Air Pollution Control District with jurisdiction over your area.

Calaveras County: 209/754-6600

Tuolumne County: 209/533-5598

San Joaquin & Stanislaus Counties: 877/429-2876

2008 Fire Season to Begin

San Andreas - With rising temperatures , rapidly drying vegetation, and the onset of summer weather patterns, CAL FIRE's Tuolumne Calaveras Unit (TCU) is preparing for an early start to the 2008 fire season. 74 seasonal firefighters were hired on April 28,2008 and are completing training this week. This early hiring of seasonal staff is in addition to the 12 seasonal firefighters currently employed in TCU. Starting Monday May 5, these firefighters will staff the Unit's 15 stations 24 hours per day. In addition to fire engines, 1 water dropping helicopter, 1 air tactical airplane and 1 air tanker are in full operation at Columbia Air Attack Base. Also, the 10 fire crews at Baseline and Vallecito Conservation Camps are staffed and will demonstrate their fire readiness at their annual drill May 6 and 7.

The opening of fire season varies geographically throughout the state, base upon weather conditions, fuel loads and increased fire activity. The decision to staff the fire engines early is made by the Unit Chief based upon local fire conditions. By hiring seasonal firefighters, staffing fire facilities 24 hours per day, and bringing the air operations on early, TCU has increased our emergency response capabilities to match the fire potential in both Tuolumne and Calaveras counties.

Every year a tremendous potential for wildfire exists in California. CAL FIRE works very hard to prevent wildfires and to keep wildfires as small as possible, but all California residents must take steps that will help our firefighters. Maintaining 100 feet of defensible space around homes is the single most important step residents and property owners can take in preparing for a wildfire.

Burn Permits are requires May 1, 2008, with burning hours restricted to 7 pm to 8 am on permissive burn days.

Contact your nearest CAL FIRE facility or visit the CAL FIRE website ay www.fire.ca.gov for more information on fire safety.

Effective 8 a.m. Tuesday, November 13, 2007, CAL FIRE (California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, CDF), Tuolumne/Calaveras Unit will require permits for all burning. Burning will be allowed, with a valid permit, with open hours on permissive burn days/nights.

CAL FIRE personnel, reminds local residents to be extremely careful when burning and follow all the conditions of their permit.

BURNING PERMITS SUSPENDED

0800 hours Monday, June 4, 2007

SAN ANDREAS - Tuolumne/Calaveras Unit of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) will suspend all burning permits within State Responsibility areas of Tuolumne County, Calaveras County, eastern Stanislaus County and Eastern San Joaquin County as of 0800 hours, Monday, June 4, 2007. The official proclamation is included.

This declaration rescinds all previously approved Dooryard Burn Permits and large-scale Project Burn Permits (LE-5). Property owners wishing to burn debris on their property are now prohibited from doing so unless they can prove that their burn must be completed for health or safety reasons. Any planned burning site must be inspected and approved before a permit may be reissued.

Camp fires will be allowed in designated campgrounds with permission of the jurisdictional authority. Anyone with questions about this declaration may contact their nearest CAL FIRE facility.

CAL FIRE Tuolumne/Calaveras Unit Chief Mike Noonan explained, "Experience has shown that suspending debris burns is an effective way of preventing wildfire escapes, especially as California enters a period of hotter and drier weather. Although all fires cannot be prevented through a burning suspension, their numbers can be significantly reduced." Chief Noonan reminds all of us that it is each individual's responsibility to use fire safely, and to prevent fires that destroy lives, homes, vehicles, and the wildland, Be Fire Safe !

- - Attachment - -

To view the proclamation - click the following link: Burning Canceled 2007 -2PDF.pdf

CAL FIRE, BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT AND FOREST SERVICE

DECLARES OPENING OF FIRE SEASON AND BURN HOUR RESTRICTIONS

SAN ANDREAS - Effective 8 a.m. on Monday, May 14, 2007, CAL FIRE, BLM and the Forest Service will officially open fire season in the Tuolumne/Calaveras Unit (TCU) and the Stanislaus National Forest. This includes the Counties of Calaveras, Tuolumne, and those eastern portions of San Joaquin and Stanislaus that are within the State Responsibility Area, BLM areas and Stanislaus National Forest.

All TCU and Stanislaus National Forest Fire Stations will be opened and staffed. Helicopter 404 is currently in full operation at Columbia Air Attack Base, with Air Attack and two Air Tankers scheduled to come on base June 16, 2007. All fire crews at Baseline and Vallecito Conservation Camps are currently available. Forest Service, Stockton Air Tanker Base will be open on June 1, 2007 and Helicopter 517 will be staffed and available at Bald Mountain Helibase on June 12, 2007.

CAL FIRE Unit Chief, Mike Noonan, urges all citizens to act soon to dispose of their yard trimmings and debris. It is anticipated that all burning will be suspended as early as June 1st, 2007.

FOLLOW THESE FIRE SAFE REGULATIONS !

Keep your piles no larger than 4 feet in diameter.

Clear at least 10 feet to bare dirt in all directions around your burn pile.

Stay in attendance at all times with a shovel and a water source.

Upon completion of burn, apply enough water to assure fire is dead out.

Never burn on windy days !

Burn only on permissive air pollution burn nights.

With the declaration of fire season, the public needs to have a heightened sense of awareness with any activity that may start a wildfire. Currently, burning is allowed by permit and burn hours are open.

Effective Monday May 14, 2007 at 08:00 a.m. burning will be restricted to the hours of 7 p.m. to 8 a.m. on permissive burn days/nights only, with a valid burn permit.

For burn night information, call the APCD phone number in your area:

Calaveras County 754-6600

Tuolumne County 533-5598

Copperopolis 785-7664

BURNING PERMITS REQUIRED MAY 1st

Effective 8 a.m. Tuesday, May 1, 2007, CAL FIRE (California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, CDF), Tuolumne/Calaveras Unit will require permits for all burning. Hours for burning will be open throughout the day until the burning conditions become more hazardous due to drying weather.

CAL FIRE personnel, reminds local residents to be extremely careful when burning and follow all the conditions of their permit. They also urge residents to complete all their burning projects early, as fire permits are routinely suspended for the duration of the summer months when fire conditions become more hazardous.

FOLLOW THESE FIRE SAFE REGULATIONS !

Keep your piles no larger than 4 feet in diameter.

Clear at least 10 feet to bare dirt in all directions around your burn pile.

Stay in attendance at all times with a shovel and a water source.

Upon completion of burn, apply enough water to assure fire is dead out.

Never burn on windy days !

Burn only on permissive air pollution burn days.

For burn day information, call the following numbers:

Calaveras County 754-6600

Tuolumne County 533-5598

Copperopolis 785-7664

CAL FIRE burn permits and information can be obtained at your local CAL FIRE (CDF) station. You may also be required to get an additional permit from your local Air Pollution Control District. Contact them for additional information at 754-6504 in Calaveras County and 533-5693 in Tuolumne County.

CAL FIRE now will be used in reference to CDF and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Director Ruben Grijalva announced today. Assembly Bill 1423 went into effect January 1, 2007 allowing the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to be referred to as CAL FIRE where appropriate.

"The formal name of our department hasn't changed," said Director Grijalva. "Over the last 100 years our mission has become increasingly complex and the length of our full department name reflects that. The use of CAL FIRE incorporates all aspects of our department - - Fire Protection, resource Management, and the Office of the State Fire Marshal."

The department's mission has not changed as CAL FIRE will continue to provide the same first rate emergency service and world renowned resource management to the residents of California with simply a new name. Just as the California Department of Transportation is better known as Cal/Trans, or the California Department of Boating and Waterways is known as Cal Boating, CAL FIRE will be used to reflect the full services provided by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

To minimize any unnecessary costs, the bill stipulates that no current materials, supplies, signs, insignias, decals or logos shall be destroyed or changed as a result of the authorization to use CAL FIRE. Once the old supplies are exhausted, new materials will be used.

CAL FIRE plans a formal rollout introducing the use of CAL FIRE in May during Wildfire Awareness Week. The name CAL FIRE is spelled out in two words with all capital letters. There is no hyphen or any other punctuation mark between the words.

CAL FIRE responds to over 350,000 incidents per year while protecting over 31 million acres of California.

For current CAL FIRE (CDF) information, see the official CAL FIRE (CDF) Web Page through the link below.