Burn Permits Required Soon

Sonora, CA– The Tuolumne-Calaveras Unit of Cal Fire will soon be requiring burn permits.

Starting this Sunday, May 1st, burning permits within State Responsibility areas of Tuolumne County and Calaveras County will be required. Since May 1st falls on a Sunday, the expiration on existing burn permits has been extended to June 1st for those permits which would have expired at the end of April 2011.

“Now that burn permits will be required, your pile size maximum should be 4 feet by 4 feet,” said Cal Fire Spokesperson Lisa Williams. “And you should have 10 feet bare mineral soil around your burn pile. You should have suppression tools available such as a shovel and water in case of an escape. We also urge people not to burn on windy days.”

Burn permits will be available Monday through Friday at the Cal Fire Headquarters at 785 Mountain Ranch Road in San Andreas, the Twain Harte Fire Station at 22978 Meadow Drive in Twain Harte, Station 51 at Mono Village on 1950 Hillsdale Drive in Sonora and the Blanchard Fire Station, 2990 Highway 132 in La Grange.

Burn hours will remain open until further notice, but outdoor burning may be done only on burn days. Cal Fire says it’s also important to check the burn day status by calling your local Air Pollution Control District with jurisdiction over your area.

Written by tina.falco@mlode.com