On May 1, 2014, CAL FIRE announced it was suspending open burning in Contra Costa County as well as several other counties within the Bay Area.
Counties with open burn bans include:
- Alameda
- Contra Costa
- Santa Clara
- San Mateo
- Santa Cruz
- San Benito
- Monterey
- portions of Stanislaus
- Western San Joaquin Counties.
The affected areas are experiencing severe drought conditions and increased fire activity, according to CAL FIRE.
Agriculture, land management, fire training and other industrial-type burning is allowed if a CAL FIRE official inspects the burn site and issues a special permit to specifically exempt a burn from this ban.
Campfires are allowed in designated campgrounds or in established facilities on private property.
For more information on how to prepare for and prevent wildfires, visit www.readyforwildfire.org.
Here are some tips all citizens can use to prevent wildfires:
- Do Defensible Space clearing before 10 a.m. and never on a hot and windy day.
- DON’T toss cigarettes out your car window.
- Don’t pull off into dry grass or brush. Hot exhaust pipes and mufflers can start fires that can’t be seen easily by the driver.
- Check with local officials for additional fire restrictions. Check with local officials for additional fire restrictions
- In wildland areas, spark arresters are required on all portable gasoline powered equipment. This includes tractors, chainsaws, weedeaters, mowers, motorcycles and All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs)
- Report any suspicious activity. Call the CAL FIRE Arson Hotline: 1-800-468-4408.
Nearly ninety-five percent of all wildland fires within CAL FIRE’s jurisdiction are human-caused and CAL FIRE is asking the public to do their part in preventing wildfires. For more fire safety tips visit www.ReadyForWildfire.org or the CAL FIRE website at www.fire.ca.gov.
