AUBURN, Calif. November 11, 2016 – Recent rains and cooler temperatures across the region have lowered the threat of wildfires allowing CAL FIRE’s Nevada-Yuba-Placer Unit to transition out of peak fire season effective Monday, November 14, 2016 at 8:00 A.M. in Nevada, Yuba, Placer and Sierra Counties.
“Fire, if used safely and responsibly, is an effective tool for reducing hazardous vegetation and the impact of wildfire on the community” said CAL FIRE Nevada Yuba Placer Unit Chief George Morris III.
As drought conditions continue to have a hold on California, CAL FIRE is maintaining staffing to meet the current threat, as well as strategically moving resources to areas that remain at a higher threat level. CAL FIRE will also continue to monitor weather conditions closely and still has the ability to increase staffing should weather conditions change or if there is a need to support wildfires or other emergencies in other areas of the State.
The 2016 fire season has been an extremely active year, even more so than in 2015. Statewide, CAL FIRE and firefighters from many local agencies battled over 5,585 wildfires within the State Responsibility Area that burned nearly 148,000 acres. This is over 1,170 more wildfires this year than normal. In the Nevada-Yuba-Placer Unit, CAL FIRE responded to 382 wildfires that charred 1,222 acres.
During the cooler winter months, CAL FIRE will be focusing efforts on the implementation of fire prevention and fuels treatment activities as guided by the State’s Strategic Fire Plan and localized Unit fire plans. These activities are aimed at reducing the impacts of large, damaging wildfires and improving overall forest health.
Residents are urged to still take precautions outdoors in order to prevent sparking a wildfire. A leading cause of wildfires this time of year is from escaped landscape debris burning. Before you burn, ensure it is a permissive burn day by contacting the local air quality district specific to your area and then make sure you have any and all required burn permits. During burning, make sure that piles of landscape debris are no larger than four feet in diameter, provide a 10 ft. clearance down to bare mineral soil around the burn pile and ensure that a responsible adult is in attendance at all times with a water source and a shovel.
Residents wishing to burn MUST verify it is a permissive burn day prior to burning.
Nevada & Sierra County – Northern Sierra Air Quality Management District;
- Western Nevada County: (530) 274-7928 Eastern Nevada County: (530) 582-1027
- Western Sierra County: (530) 289-3662 Eastern Sierra County: (530) 994-3561
Yuba County – Feather River Air Quality Management District: (530) 741-6299
Placer County – Placer County Air Pollution Control District;
- Auburn area: 530-889-6868 Outside Auburn, toll-free: 1-800-998-BURN (2876)
Additional information about air quality, burning, permissive and non-permissive materials and other helpful ideas can be found on the websites of each of the above listed agencies.
For more ways to prevent sparking a wildfire visit www.ReadyForWildfire.org.