Before Burning, Know The Requirements
Valley Springs, CA— Two blazes this weekend, one in Twain Harte and another in Valley Springs, have fire officials reminding Mother Lode residents to know the requirements for burning before igniting a pile.
Calaveras Consolidated Fire Department (CCFD) crews were called to an escaped debris burn Sunday afternoon (4/13) in Valley Springs, dubbed the Hawk Fire. It broke out around 3:35 p.m. in the 3900 block of Kitty Hawk Court near Hillvale and Crestview drives, north of Highway 26. When crews arrived, they found a quarter-acre fire with the flames spreading uphill into a downed oak tree. Luckily, the outbuilding that can be seen in the image box was not damaged.
Then, around 4 p.m., firefighters were called to the Pines Fire in the 18600 block of Ridge Road near Hillcrest Road, north of Highway 108 in Twain Harte. It broke out in timber litter and was moving at a slow rate of spread. The flames’ forward progress was stopped in about 20 minutes at over a quarter acre and contained just before 5 p.m., with the cause still under investigation.
CCFD officials remind the public of the requirements to know before burning:
1. Maximum pile size is 4 feet in diameter (when burn permits are required – still recommended when they are not).
2. Clear all flammable material and vegetation within 10 feet of the burn pile down to bare earth.
3. Keep a water supply close to the burning site.
4. An adult should be in attendance with a shovel until the fire is out.
5. No burning shall be undertaken unless weather conditions (particularly wind) are safe.
To easily check if it is a burn day, go to the mymotherlode.com homepage and find the “Burn Day” box to the right of the articles, which is updated every morning.
