Officials snuff out Bay Area burn permits

As summer begins and the drought in California continues, burn permits for the Bay Area and surrounding areas will be suspended starting Monday, Cal Fire officials announced Thursday.

Permits for outdoor burning have been suspended in Alameda, San Mateo, Contra Costa, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma and Napa counties.

Additionally, Colusa, Lake, Mendocino and Yolo counties, as well as parts of Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties, are included in the suspension, according to Cal Fire officials.

The suspension starts Monday at 12:01 a.m. and bans all outdoor burning. Exceptions, however, include campfires within organized campgrounds or on private property with the owner’s permission.

Since the beginning of the year, Cal Fire firefighters have responded to about 2,100 wildfires throughout the state, which have burned a total of 23,000 acres, Cal Fire officials said.

In addition to the suspension of the burn permits, Cal Fire officials are advising residents to prepare for wildfires in their area, according to Cal Fire officials.

Cal Fire director Chief Ken Pimlott said as conditions across California are drying out further, residents must take every step to prevent new wildfires from sparking:

“Residents must ensure they have defensible space by removing dead trees and overgrown vegetation from around their homes, but do so safely.”